A liner with more than 1,800 people on board, including 42 with flu-like conditions, was wandering off the coast of Chile on Monday, which prevented it from docking for fear of the coronavirus. The Zaandam , with Dutch flag and operated by Holland America (Carnival group), left Buenos Aires on March 7. He asked to disembark his patients before he could resume navigation to his intended destination, Fort Lauderdale (Florida), in the United States, via the Panama Canal. Holland America said in a statement that thirteen passengers out of the 1,243, and 29 crew members out of the 586, were suffering. "As it is flu season and tests for the Covid-19 are not available on board, at the moment it is difficult to determine what exactly these many cases are," added the company, adding that 'It followed the recommendations of the American Authority for Disease Prevention (CDC).
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The Zaandam, after crossing Cape Horn, was initially to dock on March 21 in San Antonio, port of the region of the Chilean capital Santiago. “Despite the prior confirmation that passengers could disembark at Punta Arenas in southern Chile, in order to fly, we were not allowed to do so. No one has left the ship since March 14 in Punta Arenas, " reported Holland America. On March 20 and 21, the liner was simply allowed to stock up on food, medicine and fuel in Valparaiso (Chile).
More than a hundred passengers are French, including the parents of Gurvan Le Pavec, who told AFP that the situation on board is getting tighter every day. "Since March 15, the boat has been on the coast of Chile, not knowing where it is going, trying several possibilities without a specific goal on the destination," he said. And since Sunday, "the first case of Covid-19 is suspected and led all passengers to be confined in the cabins with the only contact with the deposit of meals in front of the doors," he added.
Chile closed its land, air and sea borders on March 18. There were 746 cases of coronavirus and two deaths on Monday.