OCEAN ROVER

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Crew tested negative for COVID 19

Crew have tested negative for COVID-19 on the 'Ocean Rover' which arrived in Unalaska in the afternoon of June 14. for summer pollock season. The arrival of the vessel had generated concern among Alaskans, after more than 100 asymptomatic crew members aboard three of the company's other factory trawlers tested positive for the virus in recent weeks. Iliuliuk Family and Health Services, the City of Unalaska — including the Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services, the Port of Dutch Harbor, and the Department of Public Safety — along with the state's Department of Health & Social Services and American Seafoods, coordinated efforts for the arrival of the Ocean Rover crew. In a coordinated effort between the IFHS Clinic, City of Unalaska (Fire/EMS, Ports, and Police), State of Alaska Health & Social Services and American Seafoods, all 121 members on board responded to health questionnaires and were tested for COVID-19 as warranted. 16 crew members were found to have possible symptoms of COVID-19 and were quarantined pending test results. All tests returned negative. The 'Ocean Rover' — which left Bellingham, Washington on May 29 — offloaded frozen product in Unalaska/Dutch Harbor and will return to sea then. Three of its six-vessel fleet have now had positive cases of COVID-19, including 92 crew members of the 'American Dynasty', four on the 'American Triumph', and 21 on the 'Northern Jaeger'. Until last week, the Seattle-based company said it required only a five-day quarantine, which is far less than the two weeks that it can take for people infected with COVID-19 to show symptoms, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. On June 5, the company announced it would boost efforts to keep the virus off its vessels, raising its five-day quarantine requirement to the 14 days required for fishing companies operating in Alaska, and the amount of time recommended under state and federal guidelines.

Crew of Alaska-bound fishing vessel worries after company rejects more COVID-19 screening

The Seattle-based American Seafoods will forgo additional COVID-19 screening of the 'Ocean Rover', a move that has some crew worried and wanting more assurances the disease has not found its way onto the Alaska-bound vessel. American Seafoods has been buffeted in the past two weeks by test results from crews of three other vessels unloading frozen fish in Bellingham. Testing positive: 94 crew on the 'American Destiny', four on the 'American Triumpf' and 21 on the 'Northern Jaeger', findings that rattled the North Pacific seafood industry, which is struggling to keep the virus off ships and shore-based plants as the busy summer harvest season approaches. This week, American Seafoods announced it would boost efforts to keep the new coronavirus off its factory trawlers, switching from preboarding testing coupled with quarantines of at least five days to longer two-week quarantines. The crew of the 'Ocean Rover', which has finished off a spring season fishing for Pacific whiting off the Northwest coast, underwent the same shorter quarantine period that failed to keep the virus off the three other vessels. Some crew members and families expressed their dismay at the company's decision to not make a June port stop in Bellingham for screening. They noted that many of the crew on the other vessels that tested positive had no symptoms, and wondered whether some of their crew might also unknowingly be carrying the virus. American Seafoods issued a statement on June 11, 2020, saying the 'Ocean Rover' has been at sea for a month, and there was no information about any COVID-related illness on board. The vessel arrived at Dutch Harbor on June 15 and will fish for pollock. No decision has been made about whether a fifth vessel that fished off Washington will head straight to Alaska. Erin Reinders, city manager of Unalaska, said the situation is being monitored but it appears American Seafoods was meeting Alaska's requirements for fishing vessels, given the long period that the ÄOcean Rover' crew spent isolated at sea. American Seafoods factory trawlers typically unload the frozen whiting products at Bellingham Cold Storage, which on June 1, in consultation with the Whatcom County Department of Health, the Coast Guard and other agencies, developed COVID-19 requirements that must be met for ships wanting to dock and use the facility.Those requirements include a report on the current health of the crew that must be reviewed by county health officials.

Medevac off Cold Bay

The US Coast Guard medevaced a man from the "Ocean Rover" approximately 65 miles northwest of Cold Bay, on March 4, 2019. Watchstanders in the Coast Guard 17th District Command Center in Juneau received notification at about 11 p.m. on March 3 from Health Force Partners that a 57-year-old male crewman had suffered an injury to his finger. The Coast Guard duty flight surgeon recommended a medevac. The CG Cutter "John Midgett" was approximately 35 miles southeast of the "Ocean Rover" with a helicopter crew aboard at the time of the request. The MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew hoisted the man from the fishing vessel He was flown to Cold Bay and placed in the care of a Guardian Flight crew who brought him to Alaska Regional Hospital in Anchorage. On-scene conditions around the time of the hoist included 20-30 mph winds and 6-8 foot seas.