Corona drama on the cruise ship “Zaandam”: Four dead already – Florida does not want the ship to dock – Panorama

The dream vacation turned into a horror trip: eight corona cases have now been confirmed on the cruise ship “Zaandam”. And no port wants to allow the ship to dock. There is also a sharp rejection from Florida.

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Fort Lauderdale / Berlin – The drama about the cruise ship “Zaandam” in the Caribbean, with eight corona infected people on board, is coming to a head.

Florida Governor Ron Desantis does not want the ship to enter the port of Fort Lauderdale. “We see this as a very big problem and don’t want people being dumped in South Florida right now,” he told Fox News. His state cannot afford to have bed capacities used up by people who are not from Florida.

Around 80 Germans on board

The president of Holland America Line, Orlando Ashford, meanwhile, warned of further deaths on the ship. “Four guests have already died and I fear that more lives are at stake”, he wrote on the website of his company, which operates the “Zaandam” and the sister ship “Rotterdam”. Both ships are currently sailing together in the Caribbean and have 2500 passengers and crew on board, including around 80 Germans.

According to Ashford, the number of people infected with corona on the “Zaandam” has now risen to eight. 193 people had flu symptoms. Of the four passengers who have died since the ship left Argentina three weeks ago, the cause of death is still unknown.

Federal Foreign Minister Heiko Maas is now also dealing with the drama. On Monday, he expressed the hope that the two ships would soon enter the port of Fort Lauderdale and that the passengers could be flown out from there. “We’re working on it, but I can’t give the all-clear yet,” said the SPD politician in an “Bild” interview.

Call for help via Instagram

Originally, 79 Germans were on board the “Zaandam”, including the retired couple Eva von Braunschweig (72) and Jürgen Wolff (82). The two had posted a video call for help on Instagram at the weekend. “I am unbearably afraid for my husband and myself”, says Braunschweig with tears. “Five children and 14 grandchildren are waiting for us at home, I ask for help!”

According to a “Focus” report, the two have since switched to the “Rotterdam” along with most of the other Germans, on which there are no passengers who tested positive for the virus.

The two ships continued their course for Florida on Tuesday despite the governor’s cancellation. The administration of the port of Fort Lauderdale had recently been open to accepting the ship, but imposed conditions: the shipping company had to submit a detailed plan of how they wanted to get the passengers off board and home. In addition, the company itself has to take care of the transport and medical care of the sick passengers ashore, disinfect the guests’ luggage and properly dispose of the medical waste.

The “Zaandam” and the “Rotterdam” were expected to arrive in Fort Lauderdale on Wednesday evening or Thursday morning (local time). In addition to the German passengers, 305 US citizens and 247 guests from Canada are on board the ship.

Holland America Line has been sailing to Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale since the 1930s. In the 2019 financial year, the cruise lines of the shipping company moored 129 times in the port and brought 459 194 people to Florida. The shipping company generated a turnover of eight million dollars in the port. The “Zaandam” was christened in May 2000 by the actresses Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen in Port Everglades.

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