The Florida governor, Ron DeSantis, has said passengers on a coronavirus-stricken cruise trip cannot be “dumped” in his state, casting further doubt over where two vessels carrying hundreds of people will be allowed to dock.
Four people have died and dozens of people are sick with flu-like symptoms on the Zaandam cruise ship, which is currently traveling towards Florida after passing through the Panama canal with its sister ship – the Rotterdam – where asymptomatic passengers have been moved.
On Monday, DeSantis told Fox News that many of the people on board were “foreigners” that he did not want to see “dumped” in his state, adding that he was in contact with the White House about the approaching vessels.
The health of passengers and crew has worsened in the past week after several Latin American countries refused to let the Zaandam into port, with 189 people sick with flu-like symptoms as of Monday morning. Two people tested positive for Covid-19 onboard last week and four have died, although the causes of death are not known.
More than 1,200 passengers from the UK, the US and other countries have been confined to their cabins for over a week, with 73 guests and 116 crew members on Zaandam having reported influenza-like illness, according to the operator Holland America Line.
DeSantis told Fox New on Monday: “I mean, I think a lot of these are foreigners. We’ve done a really good job of working to clear hospital space. I think we have almost 33% of the beds are available right now, particularly in south Florida where we have set up field hospitals in case we get a surge.
“We cannot afford to have people who are not even Floridians dumped into south Florida using up those valuable resources. So, I’m in contact with the White House on this, I’m in contact with the local county officials in both Broward and Miami-Dade. But yes, we view this as a big, big problem and we do not want to see people dumped in southern Florida right now.”
But the president of Holland America Cruise Lines, Orlando Ashford, said on Monday that “lives are at risk” unless nations step up now to allow for the rescue.
Countries “have turned their backs on thousands of people floating at sea,” said Ashford, in a statement pleading for countries to show “common human dignity” and open their ports to allow the healthy passengers to return home and the sick ones to receive proper medical care.
Governor DeSantis’s comments add to the opposition in Fort Lauderdale, where Holland America, the company managing both ships, had previously said they would attempt to dock.
On Sunday, Fort Lauderdale’s mayor, Dean Trantalis, said the ships can only be accepted if strict protocols are followed.
“No assurances have been given that they will be escorted from the ship to either a treatment facility or placed in quarantine. This is completely unacceptable!” he wrote on Facebook.
“We cannot add further risk to our community amid our own health crisis here with thousands of people already testing positive for the deadly and contagious Covid-19 virus in the tri-county area.”
Aboard the ship, passengers sent pleas for humanitarian aid to the Florida government.
“The people on these ships need your help,” wrote passenger and Florida resident Laura Gabaroni Huergo. “People have lost their lives because countries along our route turned us away.
“Please don’t be like the unresponsive governments along our path who now have the blood of four human beings on their hands. We appeal to you to let our ships dock in Port Everglades.”
In a statement earlier on Monday, Senator Rick Scott, of Florida, seemed to leave the door open for the ships to port in Florida, but he called for the federal government to quarantine everyone on board for 14 days.
“This situation is absolutely horrific, and your heart goes out to all of those on board,” Scott said. “We need to make sure everyone on this ship is cared for without spreading the virus further, and that we are doing everything we can to protect Floridians.”