Daijiworld Media Network - California (SHP)
California, Mar 16: Grand Princess cruise ship which is currently docked at the Port of Oakland will be soon departing on March 17, 70 km away from the city where the cruise will be quarantined along with people on it. Although most of the nationalities onboard the cruise have vacated, over 131 Indians are still present on it.
The Indian crew on the ship are requesting the Indian government to bring them back to the country before the cruise ship leaves Oakland port. One of the crew members happens to be Natesh Bangera (31) from Mangaluru. Natesh has been employed for two years with the cruise company and works in the jewel section of the ship.
Crew on the ship
Natesh Bangera
Although there was a charter flight sent to get the Indian crew out of the ship, because of the absence of health certificate which has been made mandatory by India for people coming in from other countries, the Indian crew was taken back to the ship. However, Natesh stated that there was no mention of a health certificate before the crew arrived at the airport and through a possible miscommunication, the Indians were asked to head back to the ship after a 6-hour wait at the airport.
Reportedly with lesser testing kits, the Indians and couple of other nationalities have still not been tested for the virus, which leaves room for people who could be asymptomatic, becoming a threat for themselves and those around them.
As per information from Natesh's family and Natesh himself, Indonesians, South Africans, Mexicans are some of the nationalities who are still on board the cruise ship. The 131 crew members have reached out to the Indian embassy through every mode of communication, but are having trouble availing the health certificate required to return to India.
Meanwhile, the crew members who are ill or symptomatic will not be allowed to fly via charter aircraft. Crew members who are not symptomatic but for whom no charter flight is currently available will stay under quarantine on the ship.
Those requiring elevated care will be moved to medical facilities or HHS alternate care sites, depending on their conditions. But, as per Natesh none of the members of the Indian crew is infected and no one has shown any symptoms of the infection.