Coronavirus: COVID-19-infected cruise ship with Britons on board docks in Florida
It comes after Donald Trump confirmed that arrangements were being made with the UK government to evacuate British passengers.
Friday 3 April 2020 03:39, UK
A coronavirus-infected cruise ship has docked in a port in Florida after two weeks at sea and days of negotiations with initially resistant US officials.
Four people have died aboard the Zaandam cruise liner, including 75-year-old British man John Carter, whose widow has been isolated on board since his death.
The couple were among 200 Britons on the ship, which has recorded nine confirmed cases of COVID-19 and has some 200 people on board who have reported flu-like symptoms.
Earlier this week, the ship offloaded its healthy passengers onto its sister ship, the Rotterdam, with both vessels having been denied entry to ports in several countries.
The cruise ships were seeking to dock in Florida but became embroiled in a dispute, with local authorities reluctant to take more patients into a state healthcare system already stretched by the coronavirus outbreak.
Mr Carter's family had pleaded with the US president and Florida authorities to allow the ship to dock.
In a White House briefing on Wednesday, Donald Trump confirmed plans to repatriate British passengers onboard the Zaandam and the Rotterdam.
"We're looking at the two ships," Mr Trump said.
"We have Canada notified. A lot of Canadians, a lot of British on the ship.
"They're coming to take the people that are on the ship back to their homeland. Canada is coming. The UK is coming.
"We have some people who are quite sick and we're taking care of that. I'm speaking to the governor about that a lot. It's a tough situation."
Mr Trump added: "You can understand you have people that are sick on those ships and states - they have enough problems right now - don't want to take them. We have to from a humane standpoint.
"We don't have a choice. I don't want to do that but we have to. People are dying."
In a plea to Mr Trump, the family of Mr Carter said they have had only had minimal contact with his widow as her mobile phone was no longer working.
"She is struggling to eat the limited meals and is feeling unwell," they said.
"She is obviously distressed and extremely frightened."
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The Zaandam and the Rotterdam, which are owned by cruise operator Holland America, passed through the Panama Canal on Monday.
The Zaandam originally departed from Buenos Aires in Argentina on 7 March, a day before the US State Department advised against cruise travel and before any substantial restrictions were in place in Florida.
The ship had been scheduled to stop in San Antonio, Chile, then complete another 20-day cruise to arrive in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on 7 April.
But from 15 March, the Zaandam had assumed pariah-like status, having been denied entry at a succession of ports.
Operating company Holland America said that following the arrival of the Zaandam and Rotterdam in Port Everglades, disembarkation is expected to be completed by Friday evening with priority given to those who need immediate care.