The inside of the the Mein Schiff 3 cruise ship Photo: Courtesy of Liu Xin

The first-round results of the nucleic acid tests of the crew members on the German Mein Schiff 3 cruise ship showed that nine people were positive, but all Chinese citizens have tested negative. The cruise ship has implemented full isolation measures since April 28 after one of its crew members was confirmed to be infected with COVID-19. 

According to confirmation received through the Chinese Consulate General in Hamburg from both the Chinese crew on the Mein Schiff 3 and the head of the Cuxhaven Crisis Management Center, 58 Chinese crew members tested negative. 

"I deeply feel the greatness of the motherland through this matter," said Liu Xin, one of the Chinese crew members from the Mein Schiff 3 docked at the German North Sea port of Cuxhaven, sharing his experience of receiving help from the Chinese Consulate General in Hamburg with the Global Times on Wednesday afternoon.

"No matter where I am, the motherland will always be by my side. As a Chinese citizen, I feel extremely proud," said Liu.

The Chinese Consulate General in Hamburg sent a team to deliver anti-pandemic materials, including face masks, to both Chinese and foreign crew members on the vessel after receiving a letter from Liu requesting help.

"We will take full care of the Chinese passengers on the ship," said Du Xiaohui, Chinese Consul General in Hamburg.

The 2,899 passengers on the Mein Schiff 3 are all crew members, and the purpose of this voyage was to send all of them to Germany before heading back to their respective countries.

On April 30, a crew member on the ship was sent to a hospital in the port of Cuxhaven for isolation due to coronavirus infection, resulting in everyone on the Mein Schiff 3 being quarantined on the spot.

Liu said that "on [Friday] May 1, when I woke up, most people were wearing masks and the atmosphere on the whole ship suddenly felt rather tense."  He added that other crew members were stuck onboard for almost two months. 

"Nobody knows where the source of infection came from," Liu noted. 

"So far, the first round of nucleic acid testing for all crew members of the ship has been completed, with nine testing positive and recording asymptomatic or mild symptoms. All the 58 Chinese crew members were negative," Liu said.  

Liu is from Central China's Henan Province, and this is his first time working abroad. He has been working on the cruise ship for almost half a year, and his contract is not due yet. 

Liu said he is currently quarantined in a single room to cut off contact with other crew members as much as possible. Learning about the news of outbreaks on cruise ships in Japan, the US and other US warships, Liu said that he is "worried about infection. After all, there were confirmed cases onboard and the incubation period of novel coronavirus is long, it is hard to track the contacts of an infected patient and no one knows if there will be more infections among crew." 

All crew members are keen to get back home, and Liu is worried about how he and his companions will be able to get back safely. Against the backdrop of the global pandemic, countries have yet to ease their policies and flights are limited. All these factors make it difficult for them to return home. 

"Taken the complicated situation into account, and with plans changing all the time, we have not yet received specific arrangements from [our] company," Liu said. 

Meanwhile, Liu believes that he and other Chinese crew members will get back safely. "I believe in the government and I will protect myself," Liu said, adding that the Chinese Consulate General in Hamburg is very concerned about the health and safety of Chinese crew members. 

The office has sent them protective equipment and set up a team to follow up with them. The consulate is in the middle of negotiations with the cruise company and labor contracting agency to secure better arrangements for the crew, he said. 

Because cruise ships usually have congested semi-enclosed areas, increased exposure and limited medical resources, the COVID-19 pandemic has spread to a number of them, including the Diamond Princess, where 712 confirmed cases were reported with 13 deaths, media reported.