Reporting of COVID cases on Cunard ships docking into Southampton

Department of Health and Social Care did not have the information requested.

Dear Department of Health and Social Care,

This request is made under the Freedom of Information/Environmental Information Regulations and I would like to ask whether it is possible to obtain the number of COVID cases reported by the Cunard ship Queen Mary 2 when it docked into Southampton on both 24 June 2022 and 15 July 2022.

My husband and I boarded the ship on 24 June. Cunard emailed us on 23 June to advise that there were isolated cases on board. We booked our holiday through Imagine Cruising who also made contact via my mobile on 23 June to ask whether we had received the email from Cunard and advised that the ship was going through a deep clean. We felt happy to join the ship knowing that measures were being taken to address any problem.

However, during a coach trip between 1 & 8 July to Niagara Falls, New York and Washington about 50% of the people on the trip were left behind as they tested positive for COVID. The day before rejoining the ship we were required to take an antigen test in Washington to prove that we were negative for COVID. Out of a group of 9 people who attended the test centre together, 4 were positive and were therefore unable to travel to New York to rejoin the ship.

After rejoining the ship we learned that people who had tested positive whilst on board were being kept in isolation on Deck 5. We also witnessed people disembarking from the ship on 15 July who had come from isolation and were being reunited with family who had earlier disembarked from the ship. A Guests Operations Manager was checking them off a list as they were being brought from the ship into Arrivals. The lady we were sitting next to told us she was waiting for 2 aunts and an uncle who were coming from isolation. Some of the people coming from isolation were escorted by crew in masks and aprons and a number of people were taken to a coach.

I hope this explains the reason for my request and if there is any other information you require, please let me know.

Yours faithfully

Lynette Ellis
25 Dolydd Pentrosfa
Llandrindod Wells
LD1 5NZ

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References

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Department of Health and Social Care

1 Attachment

Dear Ms Ellis,

Please find attached the Department of Health and Social Care's response
to your recent FOI request (our ref: FOI-1412948).

Yours sincerely, 

Freedom of Information Team
Department of Health and Social Care

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