A Steamship Authority employee who works on the Martha’s Vineyard route has tested positive for Covid-19, according to a release Thursday from SSA spokesman Sean Driscoll.

The individual who tested positive was assigned to the M/V Martha’s Vineyard, which runs eight round-trip routes per day, starting at 6 a.m. in Vineyard Haven and leaving for its final route at 9:45 p.m. from Woods Hole.

According to the release, the employee last worked on a shift that began at noon on Sunday, Nov. 8 and ended with the vessel’s 11:30 a.m. arrival in Woods Hole on Monday, Nov. 9.

“Following that shift, the employee was informed that a relative with whom there had been close contact had tested positive for COVID-19. The employee then was tested and received the positive results on Thursday,” the release states. “The Authority is not disclosing the employee’s name or position within the company to ensure their private health information remains confidential.”

The positive case among steamship employees comes as coronavirus cases continue to spike throughout the Island and state, interrupting everything from school reopening to town meetings.

But Mr. Driscoll said that as of Thursday, steamship routes would be unaffected by the positive case and that the contact tracing process had begun.

“The Authority is in the process of notifying vessel employees who were in close contact with the affected employee and directing them to be tested for COVID-19. Those employees will not be allowed to return to work until after they receive a negative test result or are cleared to work by a medical professional,” the release states. “No operational changes or interruptions are anticipated as a result of this incident.”

The Steamship Authority has reported approximately ten coronavirus cases among its crew since the pandemic began, including three cases earlier this summer that led to more than 30 employees quarantining and the cancellation of dozens of routes. The ferry service had to reorient its schedule and shuffle boats between the Nantucket and Vineyard route after the employees tested positive.

On Thursday, Mr. Driscoll said that the boatline would be taking additional preventative steps to ensure employee and public safety and added that every boat was disinfected daily.

“Every night, Steamship Authority personnel use hospital-grade disinfectants on board all vessels, including the M/V Martha’s Vineyard, to perform a cleaning of both public and employee areas,” Mr. Driscoll wrote. “The cleaning is part of the precautionary measures taken daily by the Authority’s terminal employees and vessel crews to thoroughly clean and disinfect all high-touch areas, including hand railings, table tops, door handles, seats, faucets, and toilets. In addition, crews are assigned nightly to perform cleaning and disinfectant measures onboard the vessels.”