Virus-hit ships have nowhere to dock

Nine cruise ships with at least 8,000 people are stranded at sea as major ports remain wary of the coronavirus. Aboard Holland America’s Zaandam cruise ship, four passengers have died and more than 180 others have reported flu-like symptoms. Multiple countries, including Cuba, Mexico, and Peru, have turned away the ship. It is headed to Florida, but the state has not said whether it will allow it to dock. In Australia, more than 1,000 crew members remain aboard the Ruby Princess. Authorities there have linked 1 in 10 recorded cases of the outbreak in the country to passengers who disembarked from the vessel.

How are cruise lines coping with the pandemic? Several have suspended their sailings until at least mid-May. Carnival, the largest cruise operator, admitted it may never recover from the effects of the outbreak.

Dig deeper: Read Sophia Lee’s report on how COVID-19 is affecting local businesses.