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Paul Gauguin confirms details of positive Covid-19 test

A passenger who tested positive for Covid-19 on cruise ship Paul Gauguin immediately disembarked from the ship on August 2.

The 11-day round trip from Tahiti had departed on July 29 but has been cancelled.

A statement from Paul Gauguin Cruises about the outbreak said: “The first test of the passenger concerned was negative before her departure from the United States. The second test carried out on board, on August 1st, as a self-sampling and then transmitted to the Polynesian authorities, was positive.

“As soon as the Polynesian authorities informed the Captain of The Gauguin of the positive result on Sunday, 2nd of August, the vessel immediately turned around and returned to the departure point of the cruise, Papeete.

“The passenger, an asymptomatic 22-year-old woman, was immediately taken care of by the medical team on board and confined in a special cabin.”

All passengers and crew members were also placed in isolation and the ship returned to Tahiti.

The passenger and her mother disembarked “under sanitary corridor” and went to a specially provided hotel.

Follow-up tests confirmed Covid-19 for the affected passenger and other results are negative.

Passengers will be disembarked “under sanitary corridor” and crew members will remain in quarantine on board for seven days.

All passengers and crew members will have to be re-tested within seven days.

The statement from Paul Gauguin said: “The Gauguin teams strictly follow the protocol established in collaboration with the local authorities, whose instructions are and will be applied for the health monitoring of the current case.

“The application of the protocol has enabled a rapid reaction in accordance with the regulations and standards in force, validating the effectiveness of the health measures established by the High Commission, the Ministries of Health and Tourism of French Polynesia.

“The filtering and traceability made possible thanks to the two required tests and the recording of data on the Etis.pf (Electronic Travel Information System) platform thus demonstrate their effectiveness in controlling and mastering the health situation in French Polynesia within the framework of its resumption of activity.”

The 332-passenger ship Paul Gauguin had resumed sailing on July 18 for local residents and on July 29 for international passengers. French Polynesia opened its borders to all nationalities on July 15.

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