15 crew members on board a Maltese-flagged oil tanker have tested positive to COVID-19, and two crew members have been hospitalized, but they are not in a critical condition.
A spokesperson for the Antwerp Port Authority where Minerva Oceania is moored confirmed the development.
The affected crew members are isolated in their cabins, and they are being closely monitored and supported by the shipping company, in close collaboration with the Flemish health authorities and the authority Port of Antwerp.
The ship and its crew are expected to remain in quarantine at the port’s Leopold dock until at least Jul 4, when the situation will be reevaluated.
The total number of crew members deployed on board the ship is 26.
Minerva Oceania’s last port of call was Kali Limenes in Crete on June 3. The MR2 tanker was built in 2009 by Onomichi Dockyard and is owned by Greek Minerva Marine, data from VesselsValue shows.
The tanker is the latest to report the virus outbrea15 oil tanker crew members test positive for COVID-19 k on board. Recently, two containership majors, Hapag-Lloyd and Maersk, reported infections on board their ships.