Trawler docked in Bellingham testing 100-plus crew for COVID-19 after 1 hospitalized
More than 100 crew members of the American Dynasty trawler docked in Bellingham are being tested for COVID-19, a ship spokesperson said Saturday, May 30. One crew member from the American Seafoods fishing vessel tested positive for the new coronavirus and was admitted to St. Joseph hospital Friday, May 29, for treatment, according to a Friday evening news release from Whatcom Unified Command.
The ship docked in Bellingham Thursday, May 26, according to unified command, the multi-governmental agency that’s directing local new coronavirus pandemic response.
The crew member reported symptoms Thursday evening and was taken to the hospital Friday morning, the release stated.
The ship is being cleaned while testing is carried out by the University of Washington, according to Suzanne Lagoni, spokesperson for American Seafoods. The company does not yet know when the ship will leave Bellingham, Lanoni said.
There have been no other positive tests on any of the company’s vessels, Lanoni said.
The ship is an 83-meter trawler built in 1975. It sailed for 15 days from Seattle.
According to the operator’s website, the American Dynasty can carry a crew of 142 and is a factory vessel fishing for pollock, hake and sole. Lanoni said the ship was carrying a crew of 124, including a medic, this voyage.
The marinetraffic.com map show the ship docked at near Bellingham Cold Storage at the north end of the port in the Squalicum Waterway.
American Seafoods said it activated its COVID-19 response plan, which includes testing all crew members on board, as well as agreements with an isolation and quarantine facility in King County.
“This crew member has our full support, and we are focused on getting them treatment,” said American Seafoods CEO Mikel Durham in a company press release Saturday morning that confirmed the vessel is the American Dynasty.
Durham said all crew members were screened and tested through the University of Washington before they boarded a vessel.
“American Seafoods is working closely with the Whatcom County Health Department to develop additional strategies to mitigate and prevent further spread of the disease,” according to the release from Whatcom County.
Unified command said the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the Port of Bellingham have been notified.
This story was originally published May 29, 2020 at 8:07 PM.
