Two fishing ships going home; 25 crew members quarantined for COVID-19 in Bellingham
Twenty-five crew members on two American Seafoods vessels docked in Bellingham have tested positive for COVID-19, according to the Whatcom County Health Department, Thursday evening, June 4.
The crew members are isolated at the county’s quarantine facility on Byron Avenue in Bellingham, according to the press release.
The ships were anchored in Bellingham Bay Friday, June 5, and were expected to leave for their Seattle home port Friday or Saturday, June 6, according to an American Seafoods Friday evening news release.
American Seafoods had announced on Wednesday, June 3, that crew members on two of its vessels, the American Triumph and the Northern Jaeger, were being tested for the new coronavirus as a precautionary measure after docking Wednesday in Bellingham to offload product.
There were 21 positive cases on the Northern Jaeger and four on the American Triumph, according to American Seafoods Friday evening.
“We will make sure those crew members in quarantine receive proper medical attention, housing, meals, and other essential care, and help them stay in contact with their families,” said Mikel Durham, the company’s CEO.
“We have sought advice on how to improve our crew safety net. We have extended the quarantine before going to sea to 14 days, and we will require two negative PCR (nasal swab) tests before crew members can board or re-board a vessel. We continue to work with our public health partners to make appropriate adjustments to our protocols based on the growing body of knowledge about this virus,” she said.
Eighty-six crew members of American Seafoods’ American Dynasty trawler tested positive for COVID-19 after it docked in Bellingham May 28, according to American Seafoods in a press release Sunday, May 31.
One crew member was admitted to St. Joseph hospital. The rest of the Seattle-based crew did not show symptoms of the disease and stayed on the ship when it was in Bellingham, according to American Seafoods.
The American Dynasty returned to the Port of Seattle and was under quarantine there, the vessel operator said.
“The crew has access to any required medical care, and we are thrilled with the support that the agencies we are working with have provided. We have also put in place preparedness procedures in the event of a virus outbreak. Those plans are being fully executed right now,” Durham said last week.
Durham said all crew members were screened and tested through the University of Washington before they boarded a vessel.
The Thursday evening news release said the Whatcom County Health Department and Whatcom Unified Command, the multi-governmental agency that’s directing local pandemic response, are partnering with American Seafoods and the Washington State Department of Health to mitigate and prevent further spread of the disease.
This story was originally published June 4, 2020 at 9:14 PM.
