The cruise ship “Zaandam” with at least two passengers who tested positive for the corona virus is waiting for a passage permit through the Panama Canal off the west coast of Central America. The Panamanian Ministry of Health has already approved the passage, but the canal administration has recently worked on the details. Among other things, pilots must be brought on board for the passage.
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Four passengers have already died on the cruise ship. According to the Holland America Line shipping company, there are four older people. 53 passengers and 85 crew members with flu-like symptoms had previously reported to the medical team on board.
According to the original schedule, the ship was due to land in San Antonio, Chile on March 21 – but the port there refused to enter. Because of the corona pandemic, Chile had already closed all ports for cruise ships.
“This is completely unacceptable”
The “Zaandam” with 1243 passengers and 586 crew members on board now wants to travel through the Caribbean to Fort Lauderdale in the US state of Florida. The mayor of the coastal city, Dean Trantalis, however, also voiced sharp criticism of the plans.
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“This is completely unacceptable,” he wrote in a statement posted on Twitter. “We cannot expose our city to further risks while we are already in a health crisis with thousands of positive patients.”
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Most recently, the “Zaandam” met with its sister ship “Rotterdam” before the entrance to the Panama Canal. At the meeting, the crews moved some passengers between the two ships in order to better distribute the guests and to make room for any quarantine cabins that may be required, shipping manager Orlando Ashford explained in a video message.
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