Container ship crew member tests positive

One crew member from container ship Gjertrud Maersk has tested positive for the novel coronavirus and is being treated in a hospital in Ningbo, a port city in Zhejiang province, according to a statement issued by China's Ministry of Transport on Monday.

The Danish ship arrived in Ningbo with 22 crew members on March 17. Seven of them were found to have "abnormal physical conditions" on March 20.

Those seven left the ship on Thursday, and the remaining 15 were put under medical observation on the ship.

So far, one among the seven was diagnosed with COVID-19; four reported asymptomatic infection of the coronavirus, with their nucleic acid tests being positive, but they are not considered confirmed cases; and the remaining two reported negative after four consecutive tests.

Maersk is the world's largest ocean shipping company. The Danish logistics giant said in a statement on Monday that the health and safety of its staff have always been the top concerns of the firm, and "all the crew members with abnormalities had been isolated on the ship, with medical services provided."

The company also said that the remaining 15 crew members on the ship were in good health.

The ship carried no cargo and is currently docked at the Ningbo Port. It will undergo comprehensive sterilization and disinfection, and its crew will be replaced, the company said.