Two crew members of Chinese vessel test negative for COVID-19

Two Chinese crew members of a ship, which arrived here from novel coronavirus-hit China, have tested negative for the disease known as COVID-19, the Chennai Port Trust said on Wednesday.

The port authority's statement came hours after it announced their isolation due to fever.

The isolated persons' blood samples had been collected on Wednesday morning and sent for testing at city-based King's Institute for Preventive Medicine.

"The laboratory test reports of the two Chinese crew on board the ship MV MAGNATE has been reported negative for COVID-19 by King's Institute for Preventive Medicine, Guindy," the Chennai Port Trust said in a release.

The ship will be allowed for unloading operations as per the Standard Operating procedures for safe port operations according to government guidelines and the "crew will be followed up till sail time."
The vessel was also "kept away from access."
On berthing, a health team of the Port Health Officer (PHO) boarded the vessel and examined all the crew and observed that two persons "had mild fever without other respiratory symptoms and otherwise healthy in all respects."