On January 8, 2021, the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) National and Pohnpei State Governments released a joint press release announcing a positive COVID-19 case on board the MS Chief Mailo. The MS Chief Mailo had just recently returned to FSM waters after over one year of dry dock maintenance in the Philippines. While the ship has been homeported in Chuuk since 2004, the FSM National Government decided to bring the ship to Pohnpei:
On December 23rd, 2020, I accepted the recommendation from the FSM National COVID-19 Task Force to inform a National Government ship, the MV Chief Mailo, to return from the Republic of the Philippines after spending more than one year there for drydock repairs. The Chief Mailo left the Philippines on December 24th, and arrived in the FSM on January 4th, 2021, where it has remained in Pohnpei State’s lagoon under 24/7 surveillance. FSM Information Services
And so, the Chief Mailo with 10 crew and two passengers, including a young boy from the Chuukese outer island of Polowat remain in Pohnpei's Lagoon under surveillance. The young boy and his uncle were reported lost at sea on February 29, 2020. He was later picked up alone, by a fishing vessel close to Mindanao in the Philippines in early April 2020. He joined the MS Chief Mailo in September of 2020.
The latest reports from the FSM National and Pohnpei State Governments say that after the second round of COVID-19 testing, the results stay the same. One crew member remains positive and the rest of the crew and passengers tested remain negative for the COVID-19 virus. The positive case is more than likely a recovered infection, a historical case, with trace amounts of the virus still present in the bloodstream causing positive results. This is what the medical experts in the FSM are saying.
The decision to not go to covid condition three in Pohnpei is welcomed. I'm sure the intent of the covid conditions was to keep the people safe, healthy, and sane. To lock down the island with one positive case on a ship miles from Pohnpei's shores is not practical and sounds like overkill. The second round of test results shows that in spite of being in lockdown on the ship, only the same positive result remains. That doesn't sound like there is an active case onboard. It sounds just like what the medical experts are saying, that this in fact a historical case, recovered with trace amounts of the virus still detectable through testing. Otherwise, there are no sick individuals on the boat reported, including the positive crew member.
The MS Chief Mailo stays anchored in Pohnpei's Lagoon and no crew member has disembarked. The two times that health staff boarded the vessel to conduct tests, had all staff in full Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) including N95 masks, with proper disposal of all PPE upon arrival at the shore. A maritime cordon of the ship has been in place since Chief Mailo's arrival so no contact can be made without proper authorization. They are in quarantine, isolation, and lockdown on their ship. By all accounts from social media and the two visits on board by health staff, the crew and passengers are in good health and spirits. They are in calm waters, looking at land. They have food, water and are safe for now. All that is needed now is the political will to move the ship to its homeport of Chuuk.
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