Covid: Two ship crew from India in Torbay test positive

Liners have been using the sheltered waters off Devon to anchor during the pandemic which saw cruises cancelled

Two cruise line workers from India have tested positive for Covid-19 as they were about to board a ship off Devon.

Liners have been using sheltered waters off Torbay to anchor during the pandemic, which saw cruises cancelled.

It is understood 34 cruise workers from India arrived in Torquay last week to board the Marella Explorer as the industry prepares to restart fully.

Holiday firm and ship operator Tui said health and safety was "always our highest priority".

Cruise operators have been increasing staff numbers as restrictions ease

With coronavirus restrictions easing, ship operators have been increasing crew numbers in readiness to restart sailings.

Tui said the crew members had passed Covid tests before flying to the UK and underwent further testing at the port, carried out as part of boarding requirements.

Crew who passed dockside tests went into on-board quarantine for 10 days before joining the rest of the crew, Tui said.

The two crew members were reported to have been sent to self-isolate at a hotel in Southampton, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).

India has been badly affected by the pandemic, with more than 300,000 cases a day and more than 200,000 deaths.

It is on a red list of countries which travel to the UK is banned from, apart from some exemptions, including ships' crews.

Torbay's Conservative MP, Kevin Foster, said government officials were seeking information about the incident and he had reported the case to shipping minister Robert Courts.

"It is a threat to the whole industry if there are outbreaks on ships," he said.

Tui said: "The health and safety of our customers and crew is always our highest priority and we can confirm that all crew members joining the Marella Explorer undertook and passed pre-departure PCR tests before flying to the UK."