Empty cruise ship becomes COVID-19 vaccine center in Switzerland

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Ports hampered by pandemic without cruises

Cruises have been canceled since last March, resulting in over 100,000 Americans losing their jobs per a November report. Florida has been especially hard hit with the state being home to the three busiest cruise ports in the world.

An empty Swiss cruise ship is getting back on the water.

The MS Thurgau typically brings visitors and commuters across Lake Constance, between Germany and Switzerland. However, because of the coronavirus pandemic, the 500-passenger ship hasn’t been operating — until now. 

According to a report from Reuters, the MS Thurgau was transformed into a COVID-19 vaccine center on Tuesday. The center will offer vaccines in three Swiss towns: Romanshorn, Arbon and Kreuzlingen, the news agency reported.

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The MS Thurgau will spend one week in Romanshorn, followed by two weeks in Kreuzlingen and then another week in Arbon, according to Reuters. The ship will then return to Romanshorn so residents will be able to get their booster shots.

A man walks near a COVID-19 vaccination center located aboard the MS Thurgau in the harbor of Romanshorn on Lake Constance, Switzerland. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann
(Reuters)

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According to the news agency, the MS Thurgau only offers the Moderna vaccine. 

Currently, the ship has two shot stations, but that could be expanded to eight when Switzerland gets more vaccines. With only two stations, the ship is capable of vaccinating 168 people during a seven-hour shift. 

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The canton of Thurgau in Switzerland initially considered using buses for vaccine centers, but officials ultimately decided to use the ship instead, Reuters reported.

“We wanted to figure out just how we could vaccinate as many people as possible, with as few vaccination centers as were necessary,” Urs Martin, a Thurgau elected official, told the news agency.

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According to the Johns Hopkins University coronavirus map, Switzerland has had a total of 530,289 coronavirus cases and 9,556 deaths. Reuters reported that the country reported more than 1,600 new infections on Tuesday alone.