Several cruise ships affected by the corona infection are waiting to dock. But country after country says no. Meanwhile, passengers are dying at sea.
One of the cruise ships that has received media attention is the MS Zaandam. On board there are over 100 passengers with flu-like symptoms. Four people have already died, including a Swedish man.
The MS Zaandam left Buenos Aires on March 7, but was ported in South America and is now heading towards Florida. But even there it seems it will be difficult to get ashore. The governor of Florida is refusing to give the ship permission.
Trump promises to help
For the more than 1,000 passengers on board, hope now lies with US President Donald Trump. The president has promised to speak to the governor of Florida. In the US, health issues are regulated at the local and state level.
– Here a conflict arises between the different levels of the American system. It is difficult to know who wins here. But the president can turn to a federal court that can issue a temporary decision that the authorities must follow, says Dag Blanck, professor of North American studies at Uppsala University.
Sweden: ”We have an obligation to receive”
Who decides whether a ship is allowed to call at a port or not varies from country to country. In many of the countries that have closed their ports, it is the governments that make that decision.
In Sweden, there are eight so-called quarantine ports to receive ships with infections. Here, each region's infectious disease doctor assesses what should be done when a ship docks.
– We have an obligation to receive ships that have declared suspected infection on board, says Ingrid Hansson, communications officer at the Ports of Stockholm, which is one of Sweden's quarantine ports.
Not possible to deny
Ingrid Hansson does not see completely denying a ship access to a Swedish quarantine port as possible under current laws.
– I find that very difficult to imagine. We have no information that it would have happened.
Ingrid Hansson also does not see a cruise ship calling at Stockholm's ports in the near future.
– Most people who usually come to Sweden by cruise ship: Americans, English and Germans are in quarantine in their home countries. The ships that were supposed to come to Stockholm's ports in April-May have already canceled their traffic given the situation.
Source: svt.se
