V.I. CONSORTIUM (ST. THOMAS) — The Bryan administration Saturday morning confirmed that it allowed a ship to dock in St. Thomas to admit a coronavirus patient in critical condition to the Schneider Regional Medical Center late Thursday, where the patient is currently receiving medical attention.
The ship, a massive cargo vessel from the Maersk Shipping Company, was denied entry into Puerto Rico, forcing the vessel to seek another port of call. It was subsequently given entry into the U.S.V.I.
According to Government House, Governor Albert Bryan said Friday that his administration would seek to provide humanitarian assistance to the extent possible during the coronavirus pandemic.
“From what we know, this individual who was suffering respiratory distress needed immediate medical attention and probably would not have survived a days-long trip to the U.S. Mainland without acute care,” Mr. Bryan said. He continued and said “Giving this patient a fighting chance is the right thing to do.”
Mr. Bryan also lauded the territory’s first responders as being “among the best” who “take every precaution to protect not only themselves but our community as well.”
The ship left Charlotte Amalie at noon.
The gravely ill patient was a crew member aboard the massive Maersk Line container ship. AP Moller – Maersk A/O, known as Maersk is a Danish shipping and supply vessel operator that handles one fifth of the world’s container ship traffic, according to Bloomberg News. Maersk vessels travel Caribbean routes that routinely take them to Puerto Rico, but St. Thomas is not a usual stop.
In March, seven crew members aboard a Maersk Line vessel tested positive for COVID-19 while the ship was berthed in Ningbo, China. All were last reported to be in stable condition.