Coronavirus Cruise Ship: Passengers Begin Leaving Grand Princess

OAKLAND, CA — The cruise ship Grand Princess docked at the Port of Oakland around noon on Monday and within hours passengers had begun to disembark. But rather than heading home to family and friends, they are going straight into a 14 day quarantine.

The ship had been held off the coast of California since last week, when cases of the new coronavirus were reported aboard. Tests on 45 or 46 passengers and crew who showed symptoms of the illness revealed 21 positive samples, officials said.

The passengers and crew with coronavirus were the first to be removed from the ship, and were transported to waiting medical centers.

The process of disembarking passengers will continue on Tuesday, and possibly Wednesday. The American passengers are going to designated military bases for quarantine, including Travis Air Force Base in Solano County.

Both Canada and the UK chartered planes to take their citizens home for quarantine.

Seven people from the Department of Health and Human Services boarded the ship on Sunday to begin evaluating the health of those aboard. All crew members will be tested for coronavirus and those who show no symptoms will remain aboard the ship and serve their quarantine on the Grand Princess, which will leave Oakland for an unnamed port outside of San Francisco Bay.

Don't miss updates about coronavirus precautions as they are announced. Sign up for Patch news alerts and newsletters.

“All of us at Princess Cruises offer our sincere gratitude and appreciation to the federal, state and local authorities who are coordinating, collaborating and activating resources and personnel in support of this response to provide care and attend to the health and well-being of our guests and crew,” said Jan Swartz, president of Princess Cruises.

“The city of Oakland, Alameda County and the Port of Oakland are stepping up in a major way, and their residents deserve universal praise," Gov. Gavin Newsom said. "They are showing the world what makes our state great — coming to the rescue of thousands of people trapped aboard this ship and helping tackle a national emergency.”

The dock at the Port of Oakland is cordoned off from the public.

Related:

• Coronavirus: SF Confirms 5 New Cases, Brings Total To 13
• Cruise Ship Barred From Docking At San Francisco Cruise Terminal
• CA: State Of Emergency Declared Amid Coronavirus Death, Outbreak
• Dublin Cancels St. Patrick's Day Weekend Celebration

Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that include the common cold as well as much more serious diseases. The strain that emerged in China in late 2019 is related to others that have caused serious outbreaks in recent years, including severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). The first case of COVID-19 in the U.S. was confirmed Jan. 21.

The disease, which apparently originated in animals, is now transferring from person to person, although the mechanism is not yet fully understood. Its symptoms include fever, coughing and shortness of breath, and many patients develop pneumonia. There is as yet no vaccine against COVID-19 and no antiviral treatment.

According to the CDC, the best way to prevent the disease is to avoid close contact with people who are sick, to avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands, to wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, and to use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol if soap and water are not available.

To avoid spreading any respiratory illness, the CDC recommends staying at home if you are sick, covering your cough or sneeze with a tissue and throwing the tissue in the trash, and cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched objects and surfaces.

Death Toll, Illness Tracker

The US death toll for coronavirus is at least 26 with 22 reported in Washington state, and two each in California and Florida, including a woman who died in Santa Clara County on Monday. A suspected coronavirus death in Sunnyvale last week has still not been confirmed. The number of confirmed US cases is now 752.

Worldwide, there have been at least 4,024 deaths, with the most loss of life in:

1. China
2. Italy
3. Iran
4. South Korea
5. Spain

The total number of confirmed cases is approaching 114,000.

All statistics are provided by Johns Hopkins University.

Other Developments

The Wells Fargo Foundation announced a donation Sunday of up to $6.25 million to support domestic and global response to the infection. The San Francisco-based bank said up to $5 million will be donated at the local level in the coming months.

Sources:

• California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES)
• U.S. Coast Guard
• Princess Cruises
• Johns Hopkins University
• Wells Fargo info from Bay City News Service