Trump: We have to take care of cruise ship passengers

U.S. President Donald Trump said arrangements had been made with the Canadian and British governments to evacuate many of the passengers on two cruise ships set to soon dock in Florida.

Trump added that officials in states overwhelmed by coronavirus infections are reluctant to have the passengers immediately return to their communities.

It's a tough situation you know, Trump said. You can understand you have people that are sick on the ships and states don't want to take (them). They have enough problems right now. They don't want to take them. But we have to from a humane standpoint. We don't have a choice. I don't want to do that but we have to. People are dying.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks.

For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and could lead to death.

Altogether, close to 940,000 people around the world have contracted the virus, according to a tally being kept by Johns Hopkins University.

More than 47,000 people have died from the virus, which was first found in China late last year.