American Queen Steamboat Company and sister company Victory Cruise Lines have offered their ships to the military if personnel need to be quarantined because of the coronavirus.
The companies join other travel companies, including Carnival
Corp. and hotels, that have offered their facilities to the government for use
during the Covid-19 health pandemic.
Last week, Carnival Corp.
offered the use of its ships as temporary hospitals for non-coronavirus patients to free up space at land-based hospitals treating Covid-19 patients.
In a statement, AQSC said it and Victory are “currently
exploring ways to work with the U.S. federal government for their usage of our
vessels.”
The ships, the company said, would house military personnel who need to be quarantined on arrival from or before departing to foreign
countries.
Cities where they said AQSC and VCL vessels could
potentially be stationed include Seattle, San Diego, St. Louis, New Orleans,
Norfolk and Miami.
“AQSC and VCL would be pleased to assist the federal
government during this crisis, and our six vessels are readily available and on
standby,” the company said.