Source: Cristina Laila

A beloved great grandmother tragically died of Covid after taking a Carnival cruise to Belize earlier this month.

77-year-old Marilyn Tackett, a retired Sunday school teacher from Oklahoma, boarded a Carnival cruise ship on July 31 out of Galveston, Texas.

On August 4th, Tackett, who was fully vaccinated for Covid, began to have breathing problems and decided to stay on the ship as her family disembarked and toured Belize.

The ship's medical team tested Tackett for Covid and it came back positive.

The cruise's medical doctor said Tackett needed to be put on a ventilator and had her transferred to a local hospital in Belize.

The family raised money through GoFundMe to pay for the $5,000 demanded by the hospital in Belize.

Tackett was ultimately flown to a hospital in Oklahoma where she passed away on August 14.

"We just wanted to get on here and Thank all of you for your support, love and prayers. Memaw fought as long as she could," the family said on its GoFundMe page.

"To know she's reunited with lost loved ones and that she's basking in The Lord's presence now is a huge comfort. We'll always miss and love her and continue to keep her legacy alive. We'll continue to walk in Faith like she taught us and try to spread love and kindness like she did. Please continue to keep her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren in your prayers as we lay her to rest. And please know we love and appreciate you all," they added.

Marilyn Tackett with her family

27 people in total tested positive for Covid on the Carnival ship – 26 were crew members – ALL VACCINATED AGAINST COVID.

Carnival is pushing back on what they call "disinformation" and insisted Marilyn Tackett did not get infected on the ship because she had toured an island about 40 miles off the northern coast of Honduras one day before she started having respiratory problems.

ABC News reported:

At least one person who sailed on a Carnival cruise out of Galveston in late July to early August died from COVID-19, the cruise line confirmed.

The cruise line is pushing back against what they call "disinformation," saying it is almost certain the woman who died did not contract COVID on the ship.

Earlier this month, it was reported that 26 crew members and one passenger aboard the ship tested positive for COVID-19 before arriving in Belize City.

All 27 were vaccinated, had mild or no symptoms, and were in isolation, according to a statement from Carnival at the time. The tourism board said 99.98% of the ship's crew was vaccinated, as well as 96.5% of its passengers.

In a statement to ABC News, Carnival argued that Tackett "almost certainly did not contract COVID on our ship," and stressed that the crew is committed to protecting the health and safety of guests.

The cruise line said it has since implemented additional health and safety measures. Vaccinated travelers will now be required to present both a proof of vaccination and a negative COVID test at check-in. Unvaccinated guests must be tested twice before boarding the ship, and again at debarkation.

Full statement from Carnival to ABC News:

"Carnival has implemented a suite of protocols that are designed to flex up as needed to adapt to the changing public health situation related to COVID-19. We meet the standards for a vaccinated cruise as defined by the CDC, with at least 95 percent of our guests and all of our crew being vaccinated, and then implemented additional measures, as we are now requiring vaccinated guests to present both proof of vaccination and a negative COVID test at check-in. Those few guests who cannot be vaccinated are tested twice before boarding the ship, and again at debarkation. And all guests must wear masks in the indoor areas of the ship where people gather, such as dining rooms, theaters and casinos. Unfortunately, no venue on land or at sea is COVID-free right now, but we are committed to protecting the health and safety of our guests, crew and the communities we visit and have not hesitated to act quickly and go beyond existing public health guidelines.

Specifically to your question about the death of a Carnival Vista guest:

We are very sorry to hear about the death of a guest who sailed on Carnival Vista. Regrettably, there is a fair amount of disinformation about the circumstances of this matter. The guest almost certainly did not contract COVID on our ship, and she was assisted with expert medical care on board and was ultimately evacuated from Belize after we provided a resource to her family. We have continued to provide support to her family and are not going to add to their sadness by commenting further."

 This post is ad-supported
​