The “Zaandam”
Panama, the only country providing humanitarian aid to Zaandam cruise
The Minister of Maritime Affairs and Administrator of the Panama Maritime Authority (AMP), Arch. Noriel Araúz, accompanied by his team, personally supervised the humanitarian aid work conducted
since Friday, March 27, this year, between the ship Rotterdam and the cruise ship from South America, Zaandam, taking place about 8 miles from Panama City.
We can indicate that today, the transfer of four hundred one (401) asymptomatic passengers from the Zaandam cruise ship to the Rotterdam ship continues, and it is developing normally. For this purpose the “tenders” type boats of the same cruise ship, which have a maximum capacity of 60 people, are being used, but for greater security, the maneuver shows that only from 20 to 30 people by boat, are entering.
The next destination for these two (2) ships will be Fort Lauderdale, Florida in the United States of America.
Also, in coordination with the National Aeronaval Service (SENAN), the Civil Aeronautics Authority (AAC) and the National Customs Authority (ANA), authorization was achieved in order to open airspace to receive a flight with more humanitarian aid, necessary to continue supplying the passengers of these two (2) ships.
It is important, as a country, to show solidarity and contribute by helping the maritime industry to face this pandemic, in this case it was a passage cruise in distress which needed fuel, food, medical supplies and oxygen tanks so that it could continue with its crossing. All these actions complied with strict control measures and were approved by both the Maritime Health Department of the Ministry of Health (MINSA) and the AMP, without representing any kind of risk to our population since it was carried out
more than 8 miles from the mainland.
“In addition, I want to congratulate the entire team of the AMP and the other institutions that are collaborating in this arduous humanitarian work, I feel very proud because they did not hesitate for a moment to implement all this logistic, taking more 36 hours long. At one point, in the midst of supervising the work, we could see in the distance some of the passengers who greeted us from their cabins, at that moment in my heart I said to myself: Panama we did it well!”, Concluded Minister. Araúz
