An oil tanker has been anchored off Cape Breton since Sunday because of concerns several crew members may have contracted COVID-19, reports CBC News.
Crew test COVID positive
Karl Risser, Atlantic inspector for the International Transport Workers Federation, said one crew member on the STI San Telmo has tested positive and is in quarantine in a Sydney, N.S., hotel.
Risser says he’s been told another seven members of the crew have also tested positive for COVID-19.
He says the oil tanker was headed to Montreal from Antwerp, Belgium, and that his union, which represents foreign seafarers, will monitor the situation until the ship gets permission to move.
COVID19 safety measures
Transport Canada spokeswoman Cybelle Morin said Wednesday in an email the agency is aware of potential cases of COVID-19 involving a foreign-flagged vessel, adding that the ship can leave when it gets the go-ahead from the Public Health Agency of Canada.
The health agency was not immediately available for comment.
The federal government has released guidance to the marine industry regarding COVID-19 to manage crew changes, health and safety procedures and reporting, and shore leave that align with international standards.
Vessel Information
The STI San Telmo, a 183-metre-long and 32-metre-wide oil tanker, was bound for Montreal when it stopped off Port Hawkesbury after medically transporting a crew member to shore over the weekend.
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Source: CBC News
