Health officials have given the all clear at the Bridgetown port after a scare Wednesday morning involving a crew member from the cruise ship, Carnival Victory.
A female crew member was quarantined after discovering that she was exhibiting signs of influenza.

Lisa Brome says the ship has already left on its journey around the Caribbean with the affected crew member on board.

For a few hours the Bridgetown Port was on high alert as reports emerged that as many as three people who sailed in on the Carnival Victory were suspected to carrying the deadly H1N1 virus.

But health authorities quickly mobilized, boarding the ship and carrying out the necessary assessments of the passengers.

Health Minister, Donville Inniss, during a media briefing confirmed that it was only one crew member who was quarantined onboard the vessel.

In a brief timeline of how the events occurred, Minister Inniss said local health authorities were alerted late yesterday that the vessel left Dominica with one person who had flu symptoms and TAMIFLU had started to be administered.

He says from then the established protocols were implemented and just after six Wednesday morning port health authorities, led by Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Joy St. John boarded the vessel to carry out the assessment.

And once that assessment was completed, just before 10, passengers and crew started flowing out of the port to enjoy their holiday to the island. They told CBC News they did not have much of an idea of what was happening.

Port authority workers, on hearing the news left their posts to gather in their lunch room where members of the management team came out to reassure them of their safety.

International Business Minister, George Hutson was on hand to lend further government support to the health authorities' efforts to prevent spread of the virus.

Minister Inniss said some Barbadians were among those who came off the ship, but they and others have been given health alert cards for their follow up care.

Source: www.cbc.bb