A cargo ship is quarantining in San Francisco Bay with a dozen COVID-positive crew members onboard, and six others who were feeling ill have been taken to San Francisco hospitals for medical treatment.
A ship called the Global Striker came into port in the Bay on Monday with 19 of its 21 crew members having tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday. In a situation reminiscent of the early-pandemic Grand Princess cruise ship incident — though with less widespread panic — the ship is under quarantine, and some of the crew members appear to be sicker than others.
As KTVU reports, the San Francisco Fire Department retrieved the crew members by boat on Monday and brought them to Pier 26 for evaluation. Six of them requested further medical treatment, and they were transported to either UCSF or CPMC hospitals, where they will remain in isolation.
The 13 remaining crew members who tested positive on Saturday returned to the ship where they will remain for up to two weeks.
"They all stated they were tested on Saturday and were positive for COVID-19, their signs and symptoms are extremely mild, they're in extremely good spirits," said SFFD spokesperson Lt. Jonathan Baxter in a recorded statement.
Of the six crew members who were taken to hospitals, their symptoms also appeared to be relatively mild, but flu-like.
"They were all able to walk, able to breathe comfortably, this is a very mild onset at this time," sBaxter said.
MULTI CASUALTY INCIDENT ONBOARD CARGO VESSELL:
— SAN FRANCISCO FIRE DEPARTMENT MEDIA (@SFFDPIO) August 31, 2021
“Global Striker”
911 CALL: 1:21 PM
SFFD ON SCENE: 1:27 PM
INCIDENT CLOSED 5:01 PM pic.twitter.com/JzdiQCBmwp
Per SF FD: 19 people from an unloaded cargo vessel in the Bay reported having symptoms of #COVID19. 6 requested medical help. Those 6 on board this ambulance bus were taken to local hospitals. The vessel is called the Global Striker, originating from the Philippines. @nbcbayarea pic.twitter.com/Xrzj18TsYP
— Melissa Colorado (@melissacolorado) August 30, 2021
The Global Striker, loaded with logs, was last docked in West Sacramento, where the Coast Guard says it's unlikely any crew member left the ship.
— KTVU (@KTVU) August 31, 2021
A cargo ship is anchored in San Francisco Bay with a COVID outbreak on board. #COVID #outbreak #SanFrancisco https://t.co/6DFgMzluoy
The Japanese-owned, South Korean-managed ship was reportedly traveling from the Philippines.
The ship had last docked in West Sacramento, per KTVU, and due to the quarantine and the lack of a complete crew, the Global Striker will likely remain at anchor south of the Bay Bridge for the full two-week quarantine.
Baxter further assured the public that "no one [onboard] will be allowed to simply come on to shore to go to a restaurant or a bar. They are going to be on that vessel."
Crew members technically need to clear U.S. Customs before coming ashore. It is not known if any or all of the crew were previously vaccinated.
A year prior to the widespread availability of vaccines, many crew members aboard the Grand Princess cruise ship became infected with COVID-19 during a widespread outbreak. One of those workers, who was from the Philippines, died from his infection in San Francisco. Hundreds more had to remain onboard the ship in quarantine, in SF Bay, after all the passengers onboard disembarked last March.
Photo: Tomas Williams
