Bug-infected ships told to stay at sea
Thousands of cruise ship passengers are stranded at sea as coronavirus cases increase aboard the vessels — and may have to stay there “indefinitely,” the Coast Guard is warning.
“This is necessary as shoreside medical facilities may reach full capacity and lose the ability to accept and effectively treat additional critically ill patients,” the Coast Guard said in a memo.
“A potential evacuee has better access to comfortable surroundings and the medical staff onboard the foreign passenger vessel where care is already being provided.”
The warning comes as multiple ships have been turned away from ports around the world amid the global pandemic.
In Securities and Exchange Commission filings Tuesday, Carnival Corp. reported about 6,000 passengers are stranded at sea.
Florida officials are currently fighting over whether to allow two Holland America ships, the Zaandam and the Rotterdam, to dock at Port Everglades after passing through the Panama Canal. Four people aboard the Zaandam have died so far and nine have tested positive for coronavirus.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said he didn’t want the Zaandam “dumped” on his shores.
“We cannot afford to have people who are not even Floridians dumped into South Florida using up those valuable resources,” he said on Fox News. “We view this as a big, big problem and we do not want to see people dumped in southern Florida right now.”
Princess Cruises’ Coral Princess is expected to reach Florida on Saturday. The company said Tuesday a “higher than normal” number of people with flulike symptoms are aboard.