St. Lucia quarantines cargo ship after Guyanese crew member dies

Mar 13, 2014 News

Several Guyanese crew members were ordered quarantined by St. Lucian health authorities after one of their own died on board a St. Vincent and the Grenadines registered cargo ship.
According to the Maritime Administration Department (MARITIME), MV LADY ZAI departed Georgetown, Guyana, on March 6.
On board were 10 Guyanese crew members and a consignment of

One Guyanese crew member died aboard cargo vessel MV LADY ZAI

cargo in bulk, with its destination being the island of St. Lucia.
By the time the vessel arrived in that Caribbean island on Sunday, a crew member had already died with another ill.
MARITIME said that prior to the ship’s arrival in St. Lucia, Port Health officials there were informed of the situation and the vessel was immediately quarantined.
According to the Ministry of Health in St Lucia, the deceased was taken off the vessel and an emergency post mortem was done. The other crew member was simultaneously taken to hospital where he is currently being treated, MARITIME said.
The local authorities did not release any names of the crew members.
“The other members of the ship’s crew were ordered to remain on board where their condition is being monitored and until the exact nature of the death and illness has been determined. This is a usual precautionary measure to protect the local population from contracting any possible communicable disease.”
Officials from the Maritime Administration Department here in Guyana are in contact with their colleagues in St. Lucia on the matter, and similarly the health officials from the two countries, MARITIME said.