Cruise ship passengers stranded at sea

As countries across the world scramble to close their borders in response to the global Covid-19 pandemic, several cruise ships, some laden with thousands of passengers, are stranded on the high seas seeking a port at which they can dock according to The Guardian.

The Norwegian Jewel, sailing under the flag of the Bahamas, has been refused permission to dock in French Polynesia, Fiji, New Zealand and Australia, and is now piloting to American Samoa to refuel.

But no passengers will be allowed off the ship in Pago Pago and it is unclear where passengers will ultimately be permitted to disembark.

Unconfirmed reports are emerging that the ship may continue to Hawaii, where passengers will be allowed to leave.

There are no suspected or confirmed cases of coronavirus on board. The ship, with a capacity of more than 2,000 passengers, left Sydney in February.

But as countries close their borders to all visitors, or restrict the entry of cruise ships, the ocean liners are running out of ports where they will be accepted.

Australia has banned international cruise ship arrivals for 30 days, while the New Zealand government has announced a prohibition on cruise vessels from entering its territorial waters for more than three months.

Pacific nations have been unilaterally refusing permission for ships to berth for several weeks.

The MS Braemer, which has passengers with coronavirus on board, is similarly scrambling for a place to dock after being refused several ports of entry in the Caribbean.

Four passengers and one crew member have tested positive to the virus, while a further 20 passengers and 20 crew members, including a doctor, are in isolation after displaying influenza-like symptoms.

The Braemer is anchored about 25 miles south-west of Freeport in the Bahamas, waiting for clearance from local authorities to take aboard food, fuel and medical supplies. Two doctors and two nurses are also going to be taken on board to assist medical staff.

“All our supplies and medications are at the pier in Freeport,” said the captain, Jozo Glavic.

“They have been there since yesterday. We are still waiting for clearance for delivery. We will not go anywhere until we have the medical staff on board and these supplies arrive.”

Infection control on board ships has proven difficult. For several days in February, the ill-fated Diamond Princess which was put into isolation in Yokohama Port, Japan, after isolated cases where detected on board, was the second-largest outbreak site for coronavirus in the world, behind mainland China.

During a two-week enforced quarantine, nearly 700 people onboard were infected, and seven died. The quarantine was abandoned, and crew and passengers ultimately disembarked (most were placed into a further fortnight’s quarantine in their home countries).

Read more in The Guardian.