荷美航運公司今天表示，「桑達姆號」（Zaandam）郵輪傳出數十人出現類流感症狀後，被多個港口拒絕泊靠，已滯留南美的太平洋外海數日，目前已有4名年長乘客病故。
法新社報導，桑達姆號上約有1800人，目前行駛於巴拿馬水域，因為擔憂出現2019冠狀病毒疾病（COVID-19）疫情，好幾個國家的港口拒絕郵輪靠岸。
荷美航運公司（Holland America Line）發表聲明說：「公司證實，桑達姆號上有4名年長乘客過世。」
聲明提到：「昨天有數名出現呼吸道症狀的乘客對2019冠狀病毒疾病進行採檢，兩人驗出陽性。」
桑達姆號3月7日駛離布宜諾斯艾利斯，原定應在21日抵達智利首都聖地牙哥附近的聖安東尼奧（San Antonio）。桑達姆號14日短暫停靠旁達阿里納（Punta Arenas）後，因為據稱船上有42名乘員出現類流感症狀，遭拒絕停靠數個港口。
桑達姆號打算駛往美國佛羅里達州，但必須先通過巴拿馬運河，有關當局今天拒絕郵輪行經。荷美航運公司已派出另一艘郵輪鹿特丹號（Rotterdam）攜帶救援人員、快篩套組與援助物資到巴拿馬水域與桑達姆號會合。
荷美航運公司說，桑達姆號上1243名乘客中53人、586名船員中有85人「已向郵輪醫療中心通報有類流感症狀出現症狀」。
桑達姆號打算將沒有生病或接觸到患者的乘客轉移到鹿特丹號，將患病乘客與所有船員留在桑達姆號。
Four passengers have died on board a Holland America Line cruise ship currently sailing off the coast of Panama. Many other passengers on the ship have flu-like symptoms and two have tested positive for COVID-19.
A total of 247 Canadians are among the 1,243 passengers on the Zaandam, which is also carrying 586 crew members — one of whom is Canadian, according to Global Affairs Canada.
“Holland America Line can confirm that four older guests have passed away on Zaandam,” the cruise line said in a statement. “Our thoughts and prayers are with their families, and we are doing everything we can to support them during this difficult time,” said the cruise line.
None of the dead is a Canadian citizen.
Holland America — which first announced some of its passengers had fallen ill with “influenza-like symptoms” last Sunday — has since reported that 138 passengers and crew aboard the ship have sought medical care.
The cruise line didn’t provide a cause of death for the four passengers but said that the ship tested a number of patients with respiratory symptoms for COVID-19 on Thursday, and two individuals tested positive.
‘This is shocking’
CBC News spoke with several distraught Canadian passengers on board by a combination of phone, email and WhatsApp, as phone service from the ship was intermittent.
“It really drives home how lethal this disease is,” said passenger David Kirkham, of Victoria who believes the deaths are related to COVID-19.
Kirkham, 68, is travelling with his wife, Norma. She said the captain announced the news to passengers on Friday afternoon.
“We received very sad news,” the 63-year-old said. “Four guests have died: one overnight, two yesterday and one the day before. This has hit us very hard … This is shocking.”
The news has frightened and surprised many Canadian passengers aboard the ship, which has been seeking a place to dock since cutting short its South American cruise on March 14 in a bid to allow passengers to fly home amid the growing COVID-19 pandemic.
“We are slowly losing hope that we will ever dock and get off this ship,” said Chris Joiner, of Orleans, Ont. “We need the Canadian government to step up to the plate and help us.”
Joiner, 59, said his wife, Anna, has developed a cold and couldn’t get tested on board for COVID-19.
“What’s really hard on us now is the stress that we’re under,” he said. “We don’t know what’s going to happen next.”
Passengers continue to report to the ship’s medical centre with symptoms, said Joiner.
No dock in sight
The Zaandam began its South American cruise on March 7 and had initially planned to dock 10 days ago in Punta Arenas, Chile, to let passengers off early. However, the country refused to allow passengers to disembark.
The ship was hoping to secure passage through the Panama Canal in order to dock in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., by the end of the month.
However, in a statement this evening, the Panama Canal Authority said that the Zandaam can’t enter the canal because passengers on board have tested positive for COVID-19, and canal officials must board ships transiting the canal.
“It’s taken the lives of four people, and God knows how many more people it could take, because we have many people on board who are seniors, presumably others who have underlying health conditions.”
“We don’t know where we’ll end up,” said David Kirkham. “Who will want to take a ship that is sick, that has people dying on board? That’s a tall order for anyone.”
Holland America said it’s transferring healthy passengers to its sister ship, the Rotterdam, which is currently with the Zaandam. Priority will be given to passengers over the age of 70 who have an inside cabin, the cruise line said.
Any passengers who are currently ill and all crew will remain on board the Zaandam.
No word yet if the Rotterdam will be allowed to pass through the canal.
3 other Carnival lines have virus outbreaks
CBC News reached out to the Canadian government for comment Friday but hasn’t yet received a reply.
On Thursday, before the four deaths were announced, Global Affairs Canada told CBC News that it was aware of the situation and is working with Holland American to ensure that Canadian passengers can safely return home.
“We are doing everything we can to provide assistance under these unprecedented circumstances,” GAC spokesperson Barbara Harvey said in a statement.
Holland America is owned by Carnival Corporation, which also owns Princess Cruises. Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, three Princess cruise ships that are no longer at sea — the Diamond Princess, the Grand Princess and the Ruby Princess — have had coronavirus outbreaks.
As a result of those three outbreaks, 11 people have died and more than 900 passengers contracted COVID-19, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Australia’s New South Wales Health.
Four passengers have died aboard a cruise ship stranded at sea carrying 247 Canadians as international ports remain closed fearing the coronavirus pandemic.
Holland America, owner of the MS Zaandam, which is carrying 1,243 guests and 586 crew, said two patients tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday.
“This is so serious,” said Andrew Bevington, whose parents, Nancy and Neville, of New Hamburg, Ont., are cloistered in their room aboard the Zaandam. “The situation has deteriorated significantly.”
At least 53 guests and 85 crew members have reported to Zaandam’s medical centre with influenza-like symptoms, the cruise company said Friday.
Passengers, however, say the number is higher.
Zaandam is currently off the coast of Panama and, in response to the medical crisis, were met by the Holland America sister ship, MS Rotterdam, Thursday evening.
Panamanian authorities allowed ship-to-ship operations at anchor between the two vessels. Medical supplies and additional medical staff were transferred to Zaandam, the Seattle-based cruise company said.
“Holland America Line can confirm that four older guests have passed away on Zaandam. Our thoughts and prayers are with their families and we are doing everything we can to support them during this difficult time,” the cruise company said in a written statement.
No Canadians were among the four dead.
On Friday, groups of healthy passengers were to be transferred to the Rotterdam under guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.
“Only those who have not been ill will be moved, and health screenings will be conducted before transferring. Priority for the first guests to transfer will be given to those on Zaandam with inside staterooms and who are over 70,” the company said.
All passengers are required to stay inside their rooms until a final port can be arranged.
All crew and passengers currently ill or in isolation because of close contact with an ill person, will remain on Zaandam.
There are four doctors and four nurses on Zaandam; Rotterdam has two doctors and four nurses.
The Zaandam was cruising around the tip of South America, from Buenos Aires, Argentina, to San Antonio, Chile, when the COVID-19 global pandemic was announced.
It left Buenos Aires on March 7 and was scheduled to make port in San Antonio on March 21.
As health fears grew around the world over the coronavirus spread, Chile closed its port to the approaching ship.
After a flurry of concern, several Canadian passengers told the National Post last week they were settling in for an adventure.
“Our captain said we are probably on the healthiest place on Earth,” said Ann Graham of Qualicum Beach, B.C., last week before any illness was detected.
Nancy and Neville Bevington, last week, called themselves “two happy sailors on the Pacific ‘somewhere’” in an email to the Post. “We are very comfortable and learning lessons in patience as we await further information from Holland America on where and when we will disembark.”
At the time, when no one appeared ill on board, they said they were more worried for their family in Canada: “We are safe and happy and well looked after in our ‘floating bubble.’”