A British cruise ship that has been stranded for more than a week in the Caribbean after several cases of the new coronavirus were confirmed onboard is set to dock in Cuba today to allow weary passengers to disembark and fly home.
The mostly British passengers stranded on the COVID 19-stricken ship will then be repatriated by plane.
Britain’s Foreign Minister Dominic Raab expressed gratitude on Tuesday in parliament to Communist-run Cuba for offering a safe haven to the Braemar which has more than 1,000 mainly British passengers and crew aboard, after several Caribbean ports refused to let it dock.
The novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, has plunged the cruise industry into chaos as the global tightening of entry requirements has left many ships stranded or quarantined. Cruise lines have suspended future trips in recent days.
British cruise ship MS Braemar remains docked at the harbor in Mariel, Cuba, on March 18, above and below
The Braemar is set to dock in Cuba today to allow weary passengers to disembark and fly home
The Braemar Cruise Ship is docked at the port in Mariel, Cuba, Tuesday, March 18. Weeks after the ship was blocked from disembarking at several ports in the Caribbean, due to fears of passengers with possible COVID-19 symptoms, Cuban authorities will assist over 600 passengers stranded on the boat to disembark to be evacuated to their home countries
Passengers stand on their balconies on board the Braemar cruise ship, docked at the port in Mariel, Cuba on Wednesday. The mostly British passengers stranded on the COVID 19-stricken ship will then be repatriated by plane
‘Prevention and contention of new coronavirus require the efforts of entire international community,’ said Cuba’s foreign minister, Bruno Rodriguez. ‘Let’s reinforce health care, solidarity and international cooperation.’
Fred Olsen Cruise Lines, which operates the Braemar, said it would dock at the Mariel port, just west of Havana, early on Wednesday.
Passengers would return to Britain from the capital’s international airport in the evening on four charter flights, it said, including a separate one for passengers who had received a positive diagnosis for coronavirus or displayed any flu-like symptoms.
Any not considered well enough to fly would be offered support and medical treatment in Cuba.
The Braemar Cruise Ship is seen docked at the port in Mariel, Cuba, on Tuesday, March 18
The Braemar cruise ship is docked at the port in Mariel, Cuba, Tuesday, March 18, above and below. The British cruise ship MS Braemar that has been turned away from different ports in the Caribbean after several passengers were confirmed to have the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19)
Passengers would return to Britain from the capital’s international airport in the evening on four charter flights, it said, including a separate one for passengers who had received a positive diagnosis for coronavirus or displayed any flu-like symptoms
There are 28 passengers in isolation on the Braemar who have shown influenza-like symptoms, Fred Olsen Cruise Lines said. This includes two people who tested positive for the new coronavirus at its last port of call, Willemstad, Curacao, on March 10.
Since then the ship was refused docking in Barbados and the Bahamas, which are both part of the British commonwealth – an irony not lost on some passengers.
‘We should all remember what #Cuba has done for us, stepping in when none of the British Commonwealth countries and protectorates in the region offered any help,’ tweeted one passenger aboard the Braemar, Steve Dale.
The coronavirus has been slower to reach and spread in the Caribbean than much of the rest of the globe.
There are 28 passengers in isolation on the Braemar who have shown influenza-like symptoms, Fred Olsen Cruise Lines said. This includes two people who tested positive for the new coronavirus at its last port of call, Willemstad, Curaçao, on March 10
Fred Olsen Cruise Lines, which operates the Braemar, said it would dock at the Mariel port, just west of Havana, early on Wednesday
The Cuban government has so far confirmed seven cases in the country, after reporting its first ones last week.
Authorities are screening travelers at airports and have stepped up the production of face masks while banning large cultural events. Family physicians are paying more home visits to monitor local communities.
Yet the government has not canceled flights from countries hardest hit by the pandemic, restricted internal movement or banned social gatherings, in contrast to other countries in the region, eliciting concern among some Cubans, as has the arrival of the Braemar.
‘There were only a few cases … but now we are filling up on more,’ said Pablo Cruz Estrada, 28, while polishing up a 1948 Dodge at a car wash in Havana, known for its vintage U.S. cars. ‘Who would come up with such an idea?’
The Braemar pictured docked in Cuba this morning, above and below. Authorities are screening travelers at airports and have stepped up the production of face masks while banning large cultural events. Family physicians are paying more home visits to monitor local communities
Yet the government has not canceled flights from countries hardest hit by the pandemic, restricted internal movement or banned social gatherings, in contrast to other countries in the region, eliciting concern among some Cubans, as has the arrival of the Braemar