Symptomatic Russian Cargo Ship Without Prior Notification... "Boarding Quarantine Underway" (Update)

On the 23rd, a crew member is holding a mobile phone aboard the Russian-flagged refrigerated cargo ship A (3,401 tons) docked at Gamcheon Port in Busan. Among the 21 people on board, including the captain, 16 tested positive for COVID-19. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] Sixteen crew members of a Russian cargo ship docked at Busan Port have tested positive for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), with the number of their contacts reaching 176.

At a regular briefing held in Osong, Chungbuk, Kwon Jun-wook, Deputy Director of the Central Disease Control Headquarters, stated, "During the quarantine inspection of the Russian-flagged vessel 'Ice Stream' that arrived at Gamcheon Pier in Busan Port the previous day, three symptomatic individuals were identified, leading to tests being conducted on all 21 crew members."

Although there were three symptomatic individuals on the Ice Stream, it was found that this was not reported in advance. Deputy Director Kwon said, "There were three individuals with high fever, which could be considered COVID-19 symptoms, even before arrival, but this was neither properly reported nor disclosed," adding, "Further investigations will be conducted and measures will be taken according to the Quarantine Act."

He also said, "Infections were confirmed among those who disembarked from the Russian-flagged ship, and it is customary for the respective country to notify our country, the final destination, under the International Health Regulations once they become aware of such cases," but added, "However, we have not yet received any communication from the relevant country."

Currently, 176 individuals classified as contacts are undergoing testing, including 26 people such as pilots, CIQ (customs, immigration, quarantine) officials, interpreters, shipping agents, and repair workers; 61 stevedores; and 5 crew members from the vessel who have not tested positive.

Since the 'Ice Crystal,' another vessel from the same shipping company as the Ice Stream, was docked nearby, 21 crew members and 63 stevedores from that ship were also added to the contact list. Deputy Director Kwon explained, "The two ships were docked very close to each other," and "It was confirmed that crew members from both vessels moved between the ships using ladders, so crew members of the Ice Crystal were classified as contacts."

Although Russia ranks third worldwide in the number of confirmed cases, it is not subject to onboard quarantine inspections. Deputy Director Kwon stated, "Currently, only China, Iran, and Italy are designated as high-risk countries and undergo onboard quarantine rather than electronic quarantine," adding, "Although it is somewhat late to designate Russia as a quarantine management area, we will actively push to include it as a target for onboard quarantine."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.