Successful Control of an Onboard COVID-19 Outbreak Using the Cruise Ship as a Quarantine Facility, Western Australia, Australia
Successful Control of an Onboard COVID-19 Outbreak Using the Cruise Ship as a Quarantine Facility, Western Australia, Australia
Blog Article
Onboard quarantining has been Windows - Guides only partially effective to control outbreaks of coronavirus disease on cruise ships.We describe the successful use of the ship as a quarantine facility during the response to the outbreak on the MS Artania, which docked in Western Australia, Australia.The health-led 14-day quarantine regime was based on established principles of outbreak management and experiences of coronavirus disease outbreaks on cruise ships elsewhere.The attack rate in the crew was 3.
3% (28/832) before quarantine commencement and 4.8% (21/441) during quarantine on board.No crew Needles and Syringes Accessories members became symptomatic after completion of quarantine.Infection surveillance involved telephone correspondence, face-to-face visits, and testing for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2.
No serious health issues were reported, no response staff became infected, and only 1 quarantine breach occurred among crew.Onboard quarantine could offer financial and operational advantages in outbreak response and provide reassurance to the shore-based wider community regarding risk for infection.