A 65-year-old Phillipino national has tested positive for the deadlier strain of COVID-19 – Delta variant. The positive case is the ship captain of the cargo vessel, the Grand Tajima.
The last known port the vessel docked was Banjarmasin port in Kalimanta province of Indonesia. The captain started feeling unwell at sea when they set sail to Port Moresby. Grand Tajima arrived in Port Moresby on July 7th and the captain was immediately escorted to the Pacific International Hospitals where he was tested positive to COVID-19.
His test results were later sent to Melbourne for Genome Sequencing which he was confirmed to have the Delta variant. He remains in moderate condition at PIH.
Grand Tajima arrived on-shore with 16 crew members, six have tested positive to COVID-19; two are in isolation at the Port Moresby General Hospital while four are asymptomatic. The remaining are isolated onboard the vessel.
Six individuals who have accompanied the ship’s captain on the pilot boat, are also in quarantine, despite, their test results coming back negative.
Grand Tajima’s Port Calls
It is unclear which port the captain and the crew could have contracted the virus.
