Chinanews.com, April 1. According to Reuters, US President Trump urged Florida officials on March 31 to open coastal ports to a Dutch-American company stranded at sea.
During the White House outbreak briefing, Trump said he would call Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who had previously declared the cruise ship unpopular.
After the cruise company announced that some passengers had been infected with the new crown virus and four people died, the cruise ship "Zandan" was sailing on the Pacific coast of Central America and has been unable to dock. It was allowed to enter the Caribbean Sea through the Panama Canal on March 29.
It is reported that before passing the canal, nearly two-thirds of the passengers on the "Zandan" had passed the medical examination and were transferred to another cruise ship "Rotterdam", which are now sailing to Florida Everglades Harbor in Fort Lauderdale.
The Zaandam carried nearly 1,050 passengers and crew, while the Rotterdam carried nearly 1,450 passengers and crew. But it is unclear who will be allowed to disembark in Florida.
"We cannot allow residents who are not Florida to stay in Florida and use those valuable resources," Desantis said on March 30. He refers to the state's medical facilities. De Santis said he was more willing to provide medical assistance to the "Zandan".
Orlando Ashford, president of Holland America, urged the authorities to show compassion. Ashford said that as of March 30, 76 passengers and 117 staff members of the "Zandan" had flu symptoms, and eight of them were positive for the coronavirus test.
Broward County official Michael Udine said a "unified command" of officials from the U.S. Coast Guard, Broward County Sheriff, Port Authority, Florida Health Department, and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Ministry "is developing plans for the" Zandan ". He hinted that the governor may not have the final say on the matter.
Udine said that the "Zandan" and "Rotterdam" had about two days' flight from the port of Everglades, and the arrival time would not be earlier than the evening of April 2nd local time.
According to reports, the "Zandan" left Argentina on March 7 and was originally scheduled to end its journey in March 21 in San Antonio, Chile. About two weeks ago, the ship docked for the last time in Punta Arenas, Chile, and no one has disembarked. Prior to the transfer of passengers, more than 200 Britons were on board the Zaandam, as were Americans, Canadians, Australians, Germans, Italians, French, Spanish, Dutch, and New Zealanders.