SEATTLE — Quark Expeditions is making it easier for guests to navigate new COVID-19 travel requirements by securing rapid on-site testing capability.
As part of its industry-leading S.A.F.E. COVID Policy, the new capabilities will allow the Quark Expeditions team to do the following:
- Ensure all guests test negative for COVID-19 before boarding its ships
- Receive results within 60 minutes of each COVID-19 test
- Identify infected individuals, even asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic carriers
- Carry out onboard testing of passengers and crew to ensure continued peace of mind
Andrew White, President of Quark Expeditions, says that the new testing capability will help to ensure the safe resumption of global travel.
“The ship-based travel industry has had a difficult time bouncing back from this global pandemic. To protect guests and crew from COVID-19 when normal operations resume, we’ve adopted rapid onsite PCR testing capability that’s recognized around the world as the gold standard of COVID testing,” he said. “We’re committed to reducing the risk of a COVID outbreak and get people back to exploring the remote, naturally social-distanced Polar Regions.”
Rapid testing will be in addition to safety measures already implemented by the company, including pre-trip screening and onboard precautions set out in its S.A.F.E. COVID Policy. S.A.F.E. stands for: State-of-the-art Testing & Health Protocols; Anytime Cancellation & Rebooking; Free from crowds in the Polar Regions; and Experience will not be compromised.
