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Viking Star is fitted with COVID-19 PCR laboratory

Viking completed what it said is cruising's first full-scale PCR laboratory at sea.

Anne Kalosh, Editor, Seatrade Cruise News & Senior Associate Editor, Seatrade Cruise Review

November 2, 2020

1 Min Read
Credit: Seatrade Cruise News

Non-invasive saliva test

This new facility on board Viking Star enables PCR testing of crew and passengers with a non-invasive saliva test. The laboratory has enough capacity for daily testing of every crew member and passenger, which provides flexibility to respond to COVID-19 prevalence levels around the world.

Viking Star has capacity for 930 passengers.

This laboratory will undergo a series of extensive tests to ensure the procedures and protocols that have been designed are fully effective.

'The only way to safely operate'

'We have been working on this for a number of months, and today is important as it moves us one step closer to operating cruises again, without compromising the safety of our guests and crew,' said Matt Grimes, VP maritime operations for Viking.

'The recently announced [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] guidelines are clearly aligned with our public health research, and we welcome the agency’s push toward testing, as we believe this is the only way to safely operate,' Grimes continued. 'In our view, continuous PCR testing, along with our extensive on-board hygiene protocols, will lead to making Viking ships a safe place to get away to and explore the world.'

Viking will be demonstrating the PCR laboratory, as well as new design and operating procedures, when Viking Star visits Oslo in mid-November.

Read more about:

coronavirus

About the Author

Anne Kalosh

Editor, Seatrade Cruise News & Senior Associate Editor, Seatrade Cruise Review

Anne Kalosh covers global stories, reporting both breaking and in-depth news on cruising's significant people, places, ships and trends. A sought-after expert on cruising, she has moderated conferences around the world, including the high-profile State of the Industry panel at Seatrade Cruise Global. She created and led the acclaimed itinerary-planning case study for Seatrade's cruise master classes held at Cambridge and Oxford universities. She has been the cruise columnist for AFAR.com, and her freelance stories have appeared in a wide range of publications, from The New York Times to The Miami Herald.

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