MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Trawler operating in Falklands' waters is in Montevideo with positive COVID-19 cases

The Spanish trawler “Playa de Galicia”

An Indonesian crewmember from the Spanish flagged trawler “Playa de Galicia”, operating in the South Atlantic, died of Covid-19 and the vessel is currently in the port of Montevideo under quarantine conditions, with several other seamen hospitalized, according to the latest news from Uruguay and Spain, which have been difficult to confirm.

The vessel originally from Marin, Galicia, and belonging to Pesquerías Marinenses, arrived at Montevideo on Monday with the dead body and several contagions. The 1981 built trawler, 54 meters long and ten meters beam together with some other Spanish flagged vessels normally operate in the Southwest Atlantic, and in Falklands' waters.

This is the second crew member of a Spanish vessel who dies of Covid-19 in high seas. Last May it was an experienced sailor, 51, from Cangas and working on the “Playa de Sartaxens”, whose body was taken to Montevideo, where other crew members also tested positive for the virus.

Following that first death, the officers of the Galician trawlers operating in and out of Falklands waters demanded in a communiqué that all crew members should be immunized before departing for the high seas. The vaccination campaign in Spain has not run as smoothly as expected, with many shortcomings in different sectors.