An RCI-Royal Caribbean crew (assigned to a Coronavirus-hit cruise ship 2 days after the passenger debarkation) has died after being hospitalized in Florida with severe respiratory issues.
The Filipino man (Dexter Joyosa) worked on Oasis of the Seas as a bartender. He died on Saturday, April 18, at a hospital in Broward County. The crew reported for duty on the vessel in Miami FL on March 15 - just 2 days after the cruise industry cancelled all voyages worldwide.
One week earlier, RCI representatives had informed the USA's CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) about a possible Coronavirus (COVID-19) case on Oasis OTS.
On March 26, all passengers were emailed about possible exposure to the virus while on the ship. Two days later, crew onboard were told of the possible exposure before being isolated.
It’s still unclear whether Joyosa died from COVID-19. At least 14x Oasis OTS crew have been diagnosed with Coronavirus and 9x have been hospitalized ashore.
Joyosa (with RCI since 2012) is the second crew to die in Florida within the past week. A 27-year-old crew member from Indonesia on Symphony of the Seas died on April 12, 2020 from COVID-19. He is one of at least 3 cruise ship workers who have died from the virus at South Florida hospitals in recent weeks.
For other Oasis of the Seas accidents and incidents see at the ship's CruiseMinus page.
For Coronavirus updates on cruise ship quarantines (infected passengers and crew) and top-pandemic countries (COVID-19 cases and deaths, daily updated statistics) see at CruiseMapper's Norovirus page.