Miami-based Carnival Corporation announced Thursday that select cruise ships from its fleet could become floating hospitals to provide relief amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“With the continued spread of COVID-19 expected to exert added pressure on land-based healthcare facilities, including a possible shortage of hospital beds, Carnival Corporation and its brands are calling on governments and health authorities to consider using cruise ships as temporary healthcare facilities to treat non-COVID-19 patients, freeing up additional space and expanding capacity in land-based hospitals to treat cases of COVID-19,” a news release said.
The ships would not be used for treating those with coronavirus or who are under quarantine. Rather, they are being made available for patients being treated for normal hospital stays – those recovering from surgeries or alike.
Carnival said that as part of the offer, interested parties will be asked to cover only the essential costs of the ship’s operations while in port.
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