United charter flight will take Australian citizens from ill-fated MS Zaandam home Sunday

More than 200 Australian citizens who were aboard Holland America's ill-fated MS Zaandam cruise ship will fly home Sunday aboard a specially chartered United Airlines flight.

United says the charter flight from San Francisco International Airport to Sydney Airport will only carry passengers from the Zaandam and its sister ship, MS Rotterdam, to prevent other passengers from potentially being exposed to the coronavirus.

Thanks to a deal struck with Florida officials, the Zaandam and the Rotterdam were permitted to dock Thursday at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

An initial group of passengers arrived in San Francisco from Florida on Friday and have been given lodging and meals while they wait for their flight home, United spokesman Frank Benenati told USA TODAY. Once a second group arrives Sunday, all 219 passengers will board the chartered plane to Australia.

Everyone who boards the plane will first be screened by a doctor to ensure they are fit for travel.

"Although these passengers were cleared by the (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), out of an abundance of caution for the safety of our crew and customers, we scheduled a special charter flight for only those passengers to depart," United said in a statement provided by Benenati.

"These are extraordinary times and while we take enormous pride in our commitment to safety, we also take pride in our ability to connect the world," the airline said. "By providing these Australian citizens a safe and much needed way to get home after a long time at sea a half a world away, we exemplify our commitment and are proud to do our part to help all we can during this crisis."

Prior to disembarking in Fort Lauderdale Friday, passengers had been isolated in their rooms for roughly two weeks as approximately 250 Zaandam passengers reported flu-like symptoms, which are similar to symptoms of the coronavirus. Holland America sent the Rotterdam to rendezvous with the Zaandam in order to separate those who were sick from those with no symptoms. Last weekend, both ships were given permission to transit the Panama Canal, expediting their arrival in Florida.

Four deaths were reported aboard the Zaandam, with at least two of them linked to COVID-19. At the time the ship docked, 11 people had taken a rapid test for COVID-19 and nine tested positive.

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As of Saturday afternoon, more than 1,160 passengers had disembarked, Holland America spokesman Erik Elvejord said. The crews will remain onboard.

There were 442 guests and 603 crew on the Zaandam, and 808 guests and 583 crew on the Rotterdam.

Elvejord said that 28 guests and 15 employees are still on the Zaandam while there are 29 guests and 11 workers on the Rotterdam.

"All remain on board as they are either spouses or traveling companions of guests who are hospitalized ashore, still recovering from illness or are close contacts of someone who is, or due to travel restrictions in their home countries that we are working through," he explained.

Contributing: David Oliver, Morgan Hines, Jayme Deerwester, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Coronavirus: United to fly Holland America guests home to Australia