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| - Norway's expedition cruise line Hurtigruten announced Monday it was suspending operations after an outbreak of COVID-19 on one of its ships. A total of 41 people, 36 crew members and five passengers, have tested positive for the new coronavirus aboard the MS Roald Amundsen, during two different cruises in July. The outbreak in the country which in recent months has had the spread of the COVID-19 under control, has lead to criticism against Hurtigruten for starting cruises prematurely, and being slow to inform the 386 passengers who had travelled on the ship, after the first case was confirmed. "This is a serious situation for everyone involved. We have not been good enough and we have made mistakes," CEO of Hurtigruten, Daniel Skjeldam said in a statement. The company said a preliminary investigation had shown failures in several "internal procedures," but did not specify in what way. Norwegian police have also opened an investigation. The Roald Amundsen is already anchored in Tromso in the far north of the country, and two other expedition ships that were in service, the Fridtjof Nansen and the Spitsbergen, will remain in port "until further notice" after finishing cruises in the next few days. The company's coastal ferries would continue operations. The Norwegian Institute of Public Health has requested that all passengers on the two concerned cruises should be monitored and tested within ten days of their return to shore. The majority are Norwegians, but the manifest also includes some passengers from Germany, Denmark, the UK, the US, France, Estonia and Latvia. Hurtigruten was one of the first players to resume its activities in a cruise sector heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. phy/map/jll
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