SEATTLE (AP) — The crew of the Polar Star, the U.S. Coast Guard’s only heavy-duty icebreaker, is preparing for a rare mission north to the Arctic after the pandemic scuttled their usual journey.
The Seattle-based Polar Star usually heads south to Antarctica to resupply a research station, but the ship’s Captain Bill Woityra says the U.S. Antarctic program scaled back operations because of the virus.
His crew is in quarantine and being tested to ensure no one brings the virus onboard before they head north on Friday. They return in late February.