Covid-19, Estonia, EU – Baltic States, Medicine, Tourism, Transport

According to the Institute for Health and Welfare, the health authorities know about several cases where a person has traveled on a cruise ship and afterwards been diagnosed with the coronavirus infection. "In general, these persons have avoided moving around on the ship and big crowds, so they have had few close contacts, or the ones exposed have been possible to recognize, contact and put in quarantine. In these situations, there is a small risk of infection for those who have not been in close contact," the authority said.

"However, there was a person with mild symptoms on Silja Europa's cruise to Tallinn between June 30 and July 1, who spent longer periods of time in the public spaces of the ship. Because of this, other passengers might have been exposed to the disease," the institute said.

"We have identified two families that have been exposed and contacted. The infected person moved around so extensively on the vessel that we have not been able to identify all of their contacts," Helsinki health center's medical chief Timo Lukkarinen said.

The Silja Europa cruise in question left Helsinki on Tuesday, June 30, at 6:30 p.m. The ship left Tallinn on Wednesday, July 1, at 12:30 p.m.

"If you were a passenger on one of these departures, we recommend you to observe any possible symptoms of the coronavirus, such as a fever and/or a cough and/or shortness of breath. Even if you have mild symptoms, contact the health care with a low threshold, so you can be tested and get further instructions," the Institute for Health and Welfare said.