New COVID cruise ship cases were reported in a few hours in Palermo (Sicily Italy) including an MSC Grandiosa ship employee. The Israeli woman was asymptomatic and transferred on September 9 from the port to a facility (set by MSC Cruises and the Sicily's health authorities) at Palermo's COVID Hotel San Paolo.
The female crew tested positive at the end of a comprehensive health and safety protocol which, according to MSC, made their ships safe.
In case the employees are foreigners, they swab just prior to leaving the country of origin, and then before boarding, they carry out a second examination and swab test, so they can board the ship but immediately go to quarantine in their quarters for 2 weeks. Once the quarantine is over, before leaving the stateroom they are subjected to a 3rd swab test, which confirms or rules out the diagnosis.
All MSC cruise ship crew have gone through similarly stringent health screening measures, which included three COVID-19 tests in various phases and a period of isolation before commencing their duties.
MSC Grandiosa was the first major cruise liner to set sail in the Mediterranean in nearly 5 months after Italy's lockdown. On August 16, the first 7-night western Mediterranean voyage commenced from the port of Genoa with calls in Civitavecchia-Rome, Palermo, Naples and Valletta Malta. MSC implemented strict health protocols as well as COVID-19 swab tests for all crew and passengers, which, so far, resulted in three successfully completed MSC Grandiosa voyages.
For more MSC Grandiosa accidents and incidents see the ship's CruiseMinus page.