CalMac halts on-board refreshments over Covid-19 concerns following earlier revelation of positive case which prompted cancellation of a number of Ullapool – Stornoway sailings

FERRY operator CalMac has paused on-board food and drink from this evening until further notice due to Covid concerns.

It was earlier revealed that a positive Covid case had prompted the cancellation of a number of sailings between Ullapool and Stornoway to allow for a deep clean of the vessel.

This evening, the operator announced that due to the current Covid-19 situation "we have taken the decision to pause our on-board food and drink offering from 5pm...until further notice."

This is due to limited crew resource following several positive Covid-19 cases across the network.

As a result, all restaurants, coffee cabins, bars and shops on board ferries will now close with immediate effect.

The coffee shop at Ardrossan port will remain open for now.

It said: "We understand the effect this will have on our customers; however, we have taken this decision to allow us to focus our resources on maintaining the service, while prioritising the robust cleaning protocols we have in place, and limiting contact between customers and crew.

"We are communicating with our customers to urge them to come prepared for their journey, particularly longer sailings. We’ll keep our teams and our customers informed about any change to the current situation."

Anyone wanting further information can find it at Food and Drink FAQ https://www.calmac.co.uk/faqs/covid19/food-and-drink-onboard

CalMac is the UK's largest ferry operator, running 29 routes to over 50 destinations across 200 miles of Scotland's west coast. Its fleet of 33 vessels complete around 136,000 sailings a year with crossings ranging from five minutes to seven hours. CalMac provides an everyday lifeline service to west coast communities, and plays a critical role for tourism.

The status of the Ullapool to Stornoway route is currently at amber – which stands for 'be aware'. Service status updates for all of its routes can be found at https://www.calmac.co.uk/service-status

Sailings cancelled due to Covid-19

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