For a long time, the people on board the “Zaandam” were troubled by the uncertainty that no country wanted to enter the cruise ship on which the corona virus broke out. Now the odyssey is over.
The odyssey of the “Zaandam” cruise ship affected by the corona virus is over. The “Zaandam” and shortly thereafter also the sister ship “Rotterdam” moored in the port of Fort Lauderdale in Florida. The majority of the passengers were to be flown out of the city near Miami. However, some sufferers should also receive medical care on site or remain on board for quarantine, as the mayor of Fort Lauderdale, Dean Trantalis, announced.
On the “Zaandam”, several passengers had tested positive for the corona virus. The Holland America Line shipping company – which operates both “Zaandam” and “Rotterdam” – announced on Monday that four passengers had died and others were at risk of death. Together, the two ships had around 2,500 passengers and crew members, including 311 US citizens, 52 of them from Florida, according to the shipping company.
Germans originally on board too
There were originally 79 Germans on the “Zaandam” – most of them were moved to the “Rotterdam”, where there should be no passengers who tested positive for the virus. According to the shipping company on Wednesday, a total of more than 230 passengers and crew members had developed flu-like symptoms on both ships since March 22. 45 passengers are sick and unable to travel. They could stay on board and be isolated there until they recover.
However, individuals, estimated at less than ten, urgently need medical attention on land. Around 1200 passengers without symptoms could take the trip home under the necessary protective measures. The shipping company said that neither of the crew members of both ships would disembark.
End of a long odyssey
The “Zaandam” expired on March 7th in Buenos Aires. The cruise was originally scheduled to last a month and end on April 7th in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Because of the worldwide spread of the corona virus, the end should be brought forward to March 21st: The “Zaandam” should then arrive in Chilean San Antonio, where a stopover was planned anyway. Given the pandemic, however, Chile closed all ports for cruise ships.
It was only after long negotiations that the passage through the Panama Canal from the Pacific to the Caribbean was approved. Several Latin American countries had refused to allow Zaandam to enter their ports. Florida’s governor Ron DeSantis had initially blocked the ships from calling into his state. He argued that medical resources in the region also affected by the virus should be kept available for the local population.
However, US President Donald Trump intervened and promised help to the passengers. “From a humanitarian perspective, we have no choice,” Trump said in the White House on Wednesday. “People die”. He added: “We have to do something”. After a phone call to Trump, DeSantis had given in and pointed out that there were also Americans on board – including people from Florida. That was initially not clear and changed the situation.
