MIAMI (WSVN) - The daughter of a woman who was able to disembark from the Coral Princess at PortMiami after spending weeks at sea shared what the passenger and her husband experienced while on board the ship where, officials said, two people died from COVID-19.
For Katharine Larson, the nightmare is over.
“It feels great just to have them home,” she said while speaking with 7News on Sunday.
Larson’s mother and stepfather are finally back in their Cape Coral home after being on the cruise ship for almost a month.
:It was a long trip for them,” said Larson.
The ship had several confirmed cases of the virus in addition to the two patients who died.
The ship originally departed from Chile on March 5 and was supposed to dock in Argentina on March 19.
Instead, because of issues due to the coronavirus, the vessel docked at PortMiami on Saturday.
“My mother did say that the cruise staff were phenomenal under the circumstances,” said Larson.
Larson said her stepfather initially had flu-like symptoms for a while, but by the time the ship docked at PortMiami, the couple had been medically cleared. They went home Saturday night,
“The cruise ship provided them with transportation home, which was even more appreciated,” said Larson.
On Saturday, 7News cameras captured what appeared to be passengers getting into black SUVs. The drivers were seen wearing protective gear.
A spokesperson with Princess Cruises said the disembarkation process is expected to take several days because of the current limited numbers of flights.
On Sunday, there were buses waiting at the terminal where the vessel is docked.
Officials said those who are fit to fly will be taken directly from the ship to Miami International Airport.
Officials also said sick passengers were prioritized to get off the ship.
In a video message, Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez said at least two people were transported to Larkin Community Hospital in need of immediate medical assistance.
“We continue to work with the Port of Miami to offload passengers and crew and get them to their homes as quickly as possible while also getting some very sick patients get the medical care they need to save their lives,” he said.
Larson said her mother and stepfather will self-quarantine t their home for the next two weeks.
Anyone with questions and concerns about the coronavirus can call the Florida Department of Health’s 24-hour hotline at 1-866-779-6121.
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