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| The Holland America Line "Zaandam" |
Port Everglades traffic records confirmed the arrival of MS Zaandam and sister ship MS Rotterdam after 5 p.m. local time.
Photos showed critically ill people being transferred from the Zaandam to waiting ambulances. The sick and local residents are the only ones leaving Port Everglades on Thursday, a Holland America document outlining the disembarkation plan showed.
The Zaandam and the Rotterdam, which rendezvoused last week, were both given permission to disembark passengers at Port Everglades after days of negotiation with local officials who feared it would divert needed resources from a region that has seen a spike in COVID-19 cases.
"We were made privy of the details yesterday, and we’re hopeful that this new protocol that they’ve agreed to will sufficiently insulate our people in Fort Lauderdale at risk of (contracting) the disease," Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis told USA TODAY earlier on Thursday.
The remains of four elderly passengers who died on the Zaandam were also scheduled for removal Thursday evening. Two of the four deaths on board the Zaandam have been blamed on COVID-19, and nine people have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, the cruise line said.
Between the Zaandam and Rotterdam a total of 107 passengers and 143 crew members have presented flu-like symptoms since March 22, according to a Holland America statement provided by spokesperson Sally Andrews.
In a Thursday statement, Holland America expressed relief that a deal had finally been struck, ending the ships' saga, which began in mid-March when Chile denied the MS Zaandam permission to end the cruise there.
“These travelers could have been any one of us or our families, unexpectedly caught in the middle of this unprecedented closure of global borders that happened in a matter of days and without warning,” said Orlando Ashford, president of Holland America Line.
Ashford continued, "We are so happy to be able to get our guests home and assist those few who need additional medical services. The COVID-19 situation is one of the most urgent tests of our shared humanity, and we must do everything we can to ensure we continue to act in ways consistent with our common human dignity."
The ships are carrying 311 Americans and 52 Florida residents, with the largest numbers coming from Canada, the EU, and and several other non-us countries.
Note EU-Digest: "Informed sources reported that there was a lot of diplomatic pressure put on the Florida Governor by the Netherlands Government (home port of the two ships), and Governments of other countries, which had passengers on board the Zaandam and the Rotterdam. Apparently even President Trump was involved at one point, in the decision to let the passengers disembark in Fort Lauderdale. Not allowing the passengers disembark in Fort Lauderdale would have caused irreparable damage to the image of the Florida Tourist and cruise industry".
Read more: Coronavirus: Holland America ships dock in Florida, debarkation plan
