Durban - Crewmen onboard the Queen Mary 2, currently anchored off-shore at uMhlanga, have been tested for Covid-19.
According to spokesperson for the National Sea Rescue Institute, Craig Lambinon, the tests were carried out on Friday by a medical doctor.
"The NSRI Durban duty crew launched the sea rescue craft Alick Rennie, accompanied by a ShipMed doctor, to rendezvous at the Queen Mary 2 cruise liner at the outer anchorage off-shore of Umhlanga," he said.
Lambinon said the ShipMed doctor, under the authority of the Department of Health Port Health Unit and the Department of Transport, was tasked to carry out routine Covid19 tests onboard.
"On arrival at Queen Mary 2 the doctor, wearing full Personal Protective Equipment, was transferred onto the ship and following the sample tests that were collected the doctor was transferred back onto the sea rescue craft and brought back into the Port of Durban without incident," he said.
He explained that all precautions, PPE and protocols as outlined by the Department of Health were followed during the operation.
"NSRI remains on full alert to respond to sea rescue emergencies and providing assistance during the Covid19 lockdown," he said.