Ships carrying possible coronavirus-infected passengers and crew from an ill-fated South American cruise ask Florida officials for permission to dock
Florida Gov Ron DeSantis speaks during a news conference at a drive-through coronavirus testing site in front of Hard Rock Stadium on March 30, 2020, in Miami Gardens.
The governor said he has been in contact with the Coast Guard and the White House about diverting them, and local officials were meeting on Tuesday to decide whether to let them dock at Broward County's Port Everglades cruise ship terminal, where workers who greet passengers were among Florida's first confirmed coronavirus cases.
Holland America President Orlando Ashford penned an opinion column in the South Florida Sun Sentinel to plead with officials and residents to let the passengers disembark. Laura Gabaroni and her husband Juan Huergo, of Orlando, had wanted to explore the southernmost tip of South America for years — to see the penguins on the Falkland Islands and the glacial landscapes of the Strait of Magellan.“It's been a trying time, especially because of the many ups and downs we've seen along the way,” said Gabaroni. “We are unable to leave our rooms, haven't had fresh air in days.
The ship originally was scheduled to travel to San Antonio, Chile, and then depart on March 21 for a 20-day cruise to arrive in Fort Lauderdale in early April. But beginning March 15, the Zandaam was denied entry by South American ports, even before passengers reported their first flu-like symptoms on March 22.
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