Cayman records first COVID-19 death. Italian man was on same cruise as Puerto Rico couple
A 68-year-old Italian man, who became the Cayman Islands’ first confirmed coronavirus patient and its first virus-related death Saturday, was on the same Italian cruise ship carrying Puerto Rico’s two first COVID-19 cases. The death was reported Saturday.
Carnival Corp.’s Costa Luminosa landed in Grand Cayman on Feb. 29 after its Italian passengers were barred from disembarking the day before in Ocho Rios, Jamaica, due to fears over the potential spread of the novel coronavirus, which causes the flu-like COVID-19 disease. Days later, the ship arrived in Puerto Rico, where officials announced that a 68-year-old female passenger from northern Italy had been evacuated from the cruise ship with pneumonia, accompanied by her 70-year-old husband.
Puerto Rico Gov. Wanda Vázquez announced Friday that the couple’s tests were positive for COVID-19. The woman’s test was run in Puerto Rico’s newly-established public health laboratory; the man’s results were reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
On Saturday, Puerto Rican officials continued to step up their vigilance. They barred a Celebrity Summit cruise ship in the port of San Juan from disembarking because a Canadian passenger—already back home in his country—had tested positive for COVID-19. The death was announced today.
The Celebrity Summit arrived in the port late Friday, before a cruise moratorium went into effect. While the ship can refuel and purchase food, passengers will not be allowed to disembark until it is clear that there are no new cases aboard the vessel, officials said.
The Celebrity Summit’s dilemma is the latest in a series for the cruising industry, which faced “no sail” orders, sequestered ships, itinerary changes and bans amid the coronavirus outbreak. Friday, all cruises from U.S. ports were halted for 30 days; Saturday, Celebrity parent Royal Caribbean Ltd. extended the suspension worldwide.
Costa Cruises said late Saturday they had been officially notified by Puerto Rico authorities of the positive COVID-19 cases.
“Therefore the sanitary protocol onboard the ship has been further increased,” the cruise line said in an email to the Miami Herald. “We confirm no guests or crew with health issues at the moment.”
The ship was sailing on a 15-night sailing that departed Fort Lauderdale March 5, and sailed through the Caribbean. It then returned to Fort Lauderdale before heading to Marseilles, France.
The cruise line said that the 68-year-old Italian woman who was hospitalized in Puerto Rico showed common cold symptoms on board the Costa Luminosa. She was put under observation and “during the night, before reaching San Juan, her breathing functionality was partially affected and for that reasons she was reported upon the ship’s arrival,” the cruise line said.
“The strict observation of the protocol allowed us to promptly identify the initial deterioration of the passenger’s condition, allowing the patient to be sent to the shore hospital without delay. We underline that the patient had already been placed in isolation on board,” said a spokesperson.
The spokesperson added that rigid embarkation health screenings were adopted when COVID-19 became a pandemic. Measures include temperature checks and free medical assessments for suspect COVID-19 like symptoms.
“In addition, Costa Cruises has decided to implement a specific health protocol on Costa Luminosa’s current cruise to further mitigate risks,” the spokesperson said. For example, the cruise ship has canceled parties and other gatherings on board where it is not possible to control a safe distance between passengers.
Due to the recent restrictions imposed by the Spanish government, which has closed ports, the ship will not make planned stops in Santa Cruz de Tenerife or Malaga but will head directly to Marseille, France.
There are currently 1,427 passengers on board the Costa Luminosa; of those, 233 are U.S. citizens..
On the way to Cayman, the now-deceased cruise passenger had two heart attacks and had to be resuscitated, the Cayman Islands government said in a statement Saturday. Upon arriving in Grand Cayman, the man was rushed by ambulance to Health City hospital for urgent cardiac treatment.
After six days, he developed a dry cough, the hospital said. “Although he had no other COVID-19 symptoms — such as other flu-like complaints or a fever... a sample was taken and sent to the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) for testing,” the hospital said in a statement.
The sample was sent on March 9, and came back positive three days later.
Dr. Binoy Chattuparambil, clinical director of Health City Cayman Islands, said the male patient was isolated in the hospital’s medical intensive care unit. His wife has also been under quarantine and is being tested for the virus.
Health City has temporarily closed its facility for two weeks. More than 30 medical professionals and staff who came into contact with the patient are currently quarantined and being tested for the coronavirus.
“All necessary precautions to contain the virus have been put in place within our facility,” Chattuparambil said. “It is with this in mind that Health City Cayman Islands is taking the extremely cautious measure of temporarily closing services and not accepting any new patients for approximately two weeks. This decision was taken to ensure the safety and well being of our patients, the community and our staff. ”
Government officials in the Caymans have also sought to reassure the general public that there is no need to worry and no need to start panic buying. Just hours prior to the man’s death, Gov. Martyn Roper said the announcement that the coronavirus had reached the British overseas territory “was not unexpected and the government has been putting plans in place to minimize the impact.”
“I support the government’s sensible measures to restrict public gatherings, close schools and to introduce travel restrictions,” Roper said.
On Friday, the government also announced that it all cruise ships would be banned as of Monday for a period of 60 days.
The government also added that specialists, including a communicable disease control consultant, microbiologist, and a laboratory quality expert, would soon be arriving in the islands. The island’s laboratory has received kits for testing for COVID 19, and Cayman should be able to begin testing on Island early next week..
This story was originally published March 14, 2020 at 5:13 PM.
