Norwegian cruise line halts all trips after coronavirus outbreak on ship

A Norwegian cruise line has halted all plans for further cruises and apologized on Monday after an outbreak onboard one ship was confirmed to include more than 40 people.

The Associated Press reported that an outbreak on Hurtigruten’s MS Roald Amunsen now includes 36 crew members and 5 passengers, with more reportedly being tested. Local health officials are reportedly worried that towns along Norway’s western coast may also have been exposed to the outbreak on board the ship.

“A preliminary evaluation shows that there has been a failure in several of our internal procedures,” said Hurtigruten CEO Daniel Skjeldam, according to the AP.

“We have made mistakes. On behalf of all of us in Hurtigruten, I am sorry for what has happened. We take full responsibility,” he added.

As many as 69 local towns along Norway’s coast could have been exposed as a result of the outbreak, according to a Norwegian news station.

The company has removed the ship and two others it operates from service indefinitely. 

Norwegian officials reportedly responded to the Hurtigruten outbreak by banning entry at ports for ships carrying more than 100 passengers.

Cruise ships with passengers or crew infected with coronavirus have found themselves delayed or refused entry at ports around the world over the past several months due to concerns about spreading the virus on land.

Many companies, including Hurtigruten, suspended service entirely as the virus grew more widespread around the world, but Hurtigruten was one of the first companies to resume service in June as numbers of new infections declined in some European countries.