22 Oct 2020

Doctors fly to ship anchored off Napier for Covid tests

6:19 pm on 22 October 2020

A team of doctors is being helicoptered to a ship off the coast of Napier to do Covid swab tests.

A logging ship, Ken Rei, anchored in Napier on Monday morning, awaiting official advice after a Covid-19 scare.

The Ken Rei off the coast of Napier. Photo: RNZ / Tom Kitchin

One of the Auckland port workers who has tested positive for the virus worked on the Ken Rei in the past fortnight.

That led Napier Port to refuse entry to the vessel and request it remain offshore for a 14-day isolation period.

Now the ship's charter company has contracted doctors from a Napier medical centre to collect swabs from the crew.

Hawke's Bay DHB said preparation for the flight and safety protocols had been worked out over the last two days.

The DHB says that weather permitting, a helicopter will fly out to the ship today.

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