Medical emergency aboard cruise ship heading to Jamaica
Published:Monday | May 18, 2020 | 12:00 AM
The Royal Caribbean cruise ship destined for Falmouth is now preparing to evacuate one of its Jamaican crew members with a medical emergency.
The crew member fell ill on Monday evening as the Adventure of the Seas, drifted east of Jamaica.
Hours, before the emergency, the ship halted forward speed about 100 miles away from Falmouth as it awaited government approval to enter Jamaica’s maritime space.
In an announcement, the captain told crew members that the ill worker will have to be airlifted.
He said it was uncertain whether this would happen tonight, but noted that the ship would be moving closer to Jamaica to reach the helicopter.
Meanwhile, at a press conference on Monday, Prime Minister Andrew Holness announced that the ship has been granted approval to dock in Falmouth at noon tomorrow.
He said crew members will be allowed to disembark in batches of 200 over 48 to 72 hours and would be tested for the coronavirus in a sterile area to be created at the Falmouth port.
They will then be taken to the Bahia Principe hotel to await the test results.
Those found negative will be allowed to go home for a further 14 days in quarantine, while those who test positive will remain in a state facility, the prime minister said.
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