COVID: 6 Crew Members Hospitalized After Outbreak on Cargo Vessel in San Francisco Bay
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- A COVID-19 outbreak on a cargo ship in San Francisco Bay has led to six crew members being brought ashore for treatment at local hospitals, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.
Early Monday afternoon, the U.S. Coast Guard's San Francisco unit was notified that 19 of 21 crew members on board the bulk carrier Global Striker out of the Philippines reported being sick or COVID positive.
The San Francisco Fire Department later confirmed that they received the 911 call regarding the ill crew members at about 1:21 p.m. and were on scene minutes later.
The San Francisco Fire Department dispatched a fire boat to the cargo vessel to evaluate crew members, according to authorities. Authorities determined six of the crew required extraction from the vessel and further evaluation and treatment.
The SFFD fire boat transported the six crew members to Pier 26. From Pier 26, the six patients were transported to SF hospitals.
"They had stated on Saturday they had taken tests and they had proved to be COVID positive on that day. None of the six that we currently have are exhibiting severe signs of COVID-19. They're all able to walk, they're all able to breathe comfortably. This is a very mild onset at this time," said San Francisco Fire Department Public Information Officer Lt. Jonathan Baxter.
The fire boat also transported paramedics to the cargo ship, where they were able to evaluate the crew members and administer COVID tests.
The San Francisco Fire Department also tweeted photos from the incident.
15 crew members will remain quarantined on board the vessel with 13 of those crew members apparently testing positive for COVID-19, the Coast Guard said.
The scene was wrapped up by around 5 p.m. Monday, according to fire officials.
