The Coral Princess cruise arrived at Port Miami Saturday with two deceased passengers and several others who “are not fit to travel,” Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez said in a briefing on Zoom.
“I want to offer my condolences to the families of loved ones of the two people who died from Covid-19 on that ship, it is heartbreaking news,” Gimenez said.
There are two other passengers on the ship who “need immediate medical attention” and will be taken to Larkin Hospital. There are more people “that will be transported to other hospitals in Florida,” Gimenez said.
There are about 15 passengers “that are not fit to travel” because they are “still ill,” they will remain onboard until cleared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to Gimenez.
“All of the passengers are being screened before heading to the airport to get to their final destination,” Gimenez said.
The Coral Princess had 1,020 passengers and 878 crew; of those 993 passengers and 840 crew were “deemed fit to travel,” Gimenez says.
In a statement to CNN, a spokesperson for Princess Cruises said: “All of us at Princess Cruises are deeply saddened to report that two guests passed away on Coral Princess. Our hearts go out to their family, friends, and all who are impacted by this loss. All of us at Princess Cruises offer our sincere condolences.”
The Coral Princess departed Santiago, Chile, on March 5 and attempted to disembark guests in Brazil and later Fort Lauderdale before arriving in Miami.