Holland America Line ships permitted to sail through Panama Canal
Holland America Line’s ship Zaandam, which has reported ‘flu-like symptoms’ among 130 of its guests, has begun transferring healthy passengers to sister vessel Rotterdam.
Four people have died and two others have tested positive for coronavirus on the ship, which has been sailing off the coast of Panama.
Zaandam had been planning to sail to Florida but Panamanian authorities originally said no vessel with confirmed coronavirus cases on board could pass through the Panama Canal.
However, Zaandam and Rotterdam have now been granted permission to transit the canal on ‘humanitarian’ grounds, but authorities said no-one was allowed to disembark.
Lisa
Lisa joined Travel Weekly nearly 25 years ago as technology reporter and then sailed around the world for a couple of years as cruise correspondent, before becoming deputy editor. Now freelance, Lisa writes for various print and web publications, edits Corporate Traveller’s client magazine, Gateway, and works on the acclaimed Remembering Wildlife series of photography books, which raise awareness of nature’s most at-risk species and helps to fund their protection.
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