COVID-19 Outbreak on a New Orleans Riverboat Cruise: 11 Infected
A coronavirus outbreak on a riverboat cruise out of New Orleans has infected at least 11 people.
According to the story from NOLA.com, the American Queen, a six-deck riverboat, left the dock in New Orleans last month. The boat was carrying over 200 passengers, all excited to experience a Mississippi River cruise to Memphis.
COVID protocol for taking a cruise requires everyone to show proof of vaccination status and to have had a negative COVID-19 test prior to boarding.
One passenger interviewed recalled that on the first night of the cruise everything was perfect: the food, the service, and the entire experience. The following day, though, things changed: cold food, the wait staff was scarce, and the excursions were "rushed".
Another passenger noticed that, even though the staff wasn't required to be masked, many of them began wearing masks on the second day. The story points out that the itinerary was changed, dropping from 5 stops during the cruise to only 3.
A group of 24 friends from an adult living facility in Delaware was on the cruise and, shortly after returning home from the trip, 11 of them tested positive for the coronavirus. According to NOLA.com, one of the 11 is still in the Intensive Care Unit.
Another passenger that noticed the crew beginning to mask up said that nothing was mentioned to them until the second-to-last day of the cruise. That passenger said that the staff told him there were COVID cases on board, but they had been handled and had done contact tracing. The passenger and his spouse, he says, tested positive after returning from the cruise.
Yet another member of the group of 24 from Delaware said that no one in the group was questioned at all about who they were in contact with on the vessel.
Several replies to the original Tweet from Andrea Gallo mostly poked fun at her use of the term "puzzling".
One Twitter user points at that viruses are going to virus:
Breakthrough cases can and will happen, according to the CDC.
Some fully vaccinated people will get sick, and some will even be hospitalized or die from COVID-19. However, there is evidence that vaccination may make illness less severe for those who are vaccinated and still get sick. - Centers for Disease Control
The CDC's recommendation is this: get vaccinated and, when possible, maintain social distancing and wear a mask when indoors. If you follow these guidelines, your odds of contracting the virus are lowered.
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