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'Our biggest fear is getting ill': NSW couple stuck on ship where four passengers have died
By Megan Gorrey
An Australian couple trapped on board a cruise ship off the coast of Panama in South America have spoken of their fears they will get sick in the midst of a coronavirus outbreak and be unable to return to Australia.
Peter and Carole Burke, of Port Macquarie on the NSW Mid-North Coast, are trapped in their cabin on board the Zaandam, a Holland America Line ship, where four elderly passengers have died during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Australian couple Carole and Peter Burke from Port Macquarie are stranded on the Zandaam cruise ship.Credit: Nine News
Two people on board the ship, which is carrying hundreds of citizens from Australia, North America and Britain, have been diagnosed with the disease. Another 135 have fallen ill.
“We are not allowed out of our cabin, we can only open the door to collect meals and return trays when we finish with a mask on,” Ms Burke told Nine News on Saturday.
“We have had one 30-minute on-deck, fresh air exercise two days ago.”
Ms Burke said the pair boarded the ship on March 7 in Buenos Aires in Argentina. On March 14, the ship docked in Puntas Arenas in Chile, where passengers were told the trip would be cut short and they would head back to Australia on March 21.
The Zaandam's sister ship, the Rotterdam, has docked alongside the cruise liner as a rescue vessel. Credit: Nine News
The ship was then denied ports in Peru and Ecuador before anchoring in waters off Panama. Its sister ship the Rotterdam has docked alongside the cruise liner as a rescue vessel, but passengers are not allowed to leave.
“Our biggest worry is getting ill and wondering whether we’ll ever get home to Australia," Ms Burke said.
Ms Burke said the couple had heard “absolutely nothing” from Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade officials, who are reportedly trying to contact the Australians on board.
Holland America Line on Friday said four passengers had died aboard the Zaandam after it was refused entry into Chile nearly two weeks ago. It is not clear whether they died after catching coronavirus.
The ship had 53 passengers and 85 crew members aboard displaying symptoms of the coronavirus.
The Zandaam had been assured its passengers could disembark in Punta Arenas on March 14, Holland America said. But Chile closed its borders and reneged, forcing the ship to make a two-week voyage to Fort Lauderdale in the United States. By March 22, passengers started to get sick.
On Friday, a massive evacuation plan was announced to remove the healthy passengers and place them aboard another ship, the Rotterdam, which arrived from Mexico with doctors, COVID-19 tests and medical supplies.
It is not known how many Australians are on board the Zaandam. Foreign Affairs Minister Marise Payne said last week there were currently more than 3000 Australians on more than 30 cruise ships around the world.
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"It is a very large number and they are scattered, as you might expect, to the four winds," she said.
Ms Payne said cruise lines were being "very, very constructive in the approach that they are taking" and many companies were helping their passengers by organising charters.
"We want to make sure that those Australians are able to return, " Ms Payne said. "We are working directly with them."
- with The New York Times