Carnival Vista Passenger Infected with COVID19 Dies

A Carnival Vista passenger who sailed to Belize tested positive for COVID19. She was on a ventilator before she died.

Marilyn Tackett, a 77-year-old retired Sunday school teacher from Oklahoma, sailed aboard the Carnival Vista on July 31, 2021, together with her family. This was her first trip outside the US. Carnival Cruise sailed to different Caribbean ports including Roatan and Belize.

The ship reached Roatan on August 3 and Tackett went ashore for a tour. The following day, Carnival Vista went to Belize. This time, Tacket wasn’t feeling well. She opted not to go on the excursion with her children. Upon her children returning from the tour, they already noticed that their mother was having difficulty breathing. They called the attention of the ship’s physician who then administered a COVID19 test on the 77-year old passenger. The test came back positive.

The doctor then advised that she will need a ventilator. The hospital in Belize demanded a payment of $5,000 from the family before admitting her. The admission was delayed, but she was later admitted and taken to the intensive care unit of the hospital where she was put on a ventilator.

Carnival Vista Passenger Died After Testing Positive

Tackett’s insurance company doesn’t cover hospitalizations and medical care outside the US or emergency flights.  On August 6, Tackett’s granddaughter put up a GoFundMe page for her. Her family tried to raise $30,000 for her transfer to the US. Tackett was eventually transferred from Belize to Tulsa, Oklahoma where she was placed in an ICU and on a ventilator again. She died on August 14^th.

Small Number of COVID Cases

Carnival Vista reported that they had a “small number of people” who tested positive. Initially, the cruise operator refused to publish the exact number of infected guests. A newspaper also said that “it’s unclear if the sick passengers were fully vaccinated and how severe their symptoms are”. Later, reports came out that 1 Carnival Vista passenger and 26 crew members tested positive.