Danish Air Force/Arctic Command/Handout via Reuters
A luxury cruise ship grounded off the coast of Greenland is carrying two people with COVID-19, an Australian passenger told The Guardian. The Ocean Explorer—which has 206 passengers and crew onboard—got stuck while trying to tour Alpefjord national park after the high tide failed to free the 343 foot-long boat. The ship departed from Norway on Sept. 1 and expected to return on Sept. 22, but now Danish authorities have been deployed to attempt to rescue the ship with a scientific fishing vessel that will pull the boat at high tide. “A cruise ship in trouble in the national park is obviously a worry. The nearest help is far away, our units are far away, and the weather can be very unfavorable,” Commander Brian Jensen of the Danish navy’s joint Arctic command said in a Tuesday statement. “We do not see any immediate danger to human life or the environment, which is reassuring.” The Australian passenger, Gina Hill, said passengers have remained in “good spirits” and “no one seems to be afraid.” Hill said the crew informed her and others that two passengers are isolating due to COVID and that some people have chosen to wear masks.
