Four People Have Died On Carnival-Owned Cruise Ship Amid COVID-19 Outbreak

Four passengers have died aboard Holland America’s “Zaandam” cruise ship off the coast of Panama, the company announced.

According to CNBC, there are more than 1,800 people aboard the ship, including four doctors and four nurses who are also on board. At last reporting, the company revealed that 53 passengers and 85 crew members are exhibiting symptoms consistent with the coronavirus, but they did not specify how many of the passengers and crew in total were tested.

The ship is now at least the third Carnival-owned ship to become the site of a coronavirus outbreak. 

The company shared in a statement that “four older guests have passed away on Zaandam,” but did not specify whether they died of COVID-19. “No one has been off the ship since March 14 in Punta Arenas, Chile.”

Another Holland America cruise ship, the “Rotterdam,” met the Zaandam at sea on Thursday. The company said it planned to transfer healthy patients from one ship to the other before they are exposed to COVID-19. All passengers and crew currently exhibiting symptoms will remain on the Zaandam.