Russian authorities put COVID-19 infected workers from Arctic hotspot on cruise ship

In the northwestern region of Russia, a construction site in Murmansk has emerged as coronavirus hotspot with over 1,000 workers testingpositive for COVID-19.

According to the latest statement by the city governor, the authorities are sending some of its workers on a cruise ship in a bid to control the spread further.

Russian company Novatek is building a plant to supply its next LNG project in Murmansk, the Arctic LNG 2. It will supply gas platforms for the $20 billion.

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The construction site has over 10,000 workers and out of those, 1,079 have tested positive for the deadly coronavirus.

Murmansk governor Andrei Chibis on Friday saida cruise ship called Princess Anastasia, which can carry 2,500 people, has been sent to Belokamenka to help control the spread of the infection.

"The liner is on its way to Murmansk... so that there are additional capacities for placing people," he said in a briefing streamed on the internet.

This comes a day after a construction company involved in the project, VelesStroi said that a 51-year-old woman who worked as a cleaner died on the premises.

After determining the woman to be positive of coronavirus, authorities failed to take her to the hospital. VelesStroi on its website said there was no need of hospitalization as she was showing "mild symptoms".

The press release has now been deleted.

Despite the big number of coronavirus positives, authorities are still continuing work at the construction site.

"We have not stopped the project... because the project is of principal importance for the economy of the region and the entire country," Chibis said.

Several sites associated with Russia's energy sector, where people from all over the country work long shifts and live close together, have emerged as infection hotspots in recent weeks.

Meanwhile, Russia has reported a total of 114,431 coronavirus cases and 1,169 deaths up to Friday.

(With inputs from agencies)