COPENHAGEN — Denmark will allow merchant sailors stranded on the high seas since the outbreak of the coronavirus to come ashore and be reunited with their friends and families, the Business Ministry said on Monday. Since the outbreak of the coronavirus, 200,000 seafarers have been stranded on merchant ships, some for more than a year, because travel restrictions have made it almost impossible to rotate crews. "While many Danes have used the corona crisis to spend more time with the family, many Danish sailors have had to do without family and friends for much longer than usual," Business Minister Simon Kollerup said. Sailors will be granted visas to enter or travel through Denmark in controlled settings, the ministry said, to allow them to embark or disembark ships in Denmark or neighbouring countries.

Source: International New York Times July 20, 2020 14:26 UTC