Fishing Trawler in Washington Has 86 COVID-19 Cases

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A fishing trawler in Washington state has 86 crew members who tested positive for the coronavirus, officials said.

Ship operator American Seafoods said the American Dynasty trawler first docked in Bellingham May 26, The Bellingham Herald reported.

The Seattle-based crew are not showing symptoms and remained on the ship while it was in Bellingham, the company said.

The results of nine tests are still outstanding.

The American Dynasty returned to the Port of Seattle and is under quarantine, American Seafoods said in a statement.

“The crew has access to any required medical care, and we are thrilled with the support that the agencies we are working with have provided,” American Seafoods CEO Mikel Durham said.

“We have also put in place preparedness procedures in the event of a virus outbreak,” Durham said.

The American Dynasty can carry a crew of 142 and is a factory vessel fishing for pollock, hake and sole. The ship was carrying a crew of 124, including a medic, American Seafoods spokesperson Suzanne Lagoni said.

A crew member tested positive for the coronavirus while the ship was docked in Bellingham and remains in a hospital for treatment after being admitted Friday.

American Seafoods said it activated its COVID-19 response plan, which includes testing all crew members on board.

Crew members were screened and tested through the University of Washington before boarding the vessel, Durham said.

American Seafoods is based in Seattle and Dutch Harbor, Alaska. It has six vessels in its fleet, which fish for pollock, whiting, code and yellowfin sole in the North Pacific Ocean and Bering Sea.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death. The vast majority of people recover.