5 Cruise Ship Passengers Test Positive For Coronavirus, CDC Says

BAY AREA, CA — The number of COVID-19 cases in the United States nearly doubled Friday, with five of the newest confirmed cases being American passengers who were evacuated from the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan, a spokesperson for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told Patch. The five individuals who have now tested positive for 2019 Novel Coronavirus were among 172 Americans evacuated from the cruise ship and flown to Travis Air Force Base in Solano County for a 14-day, federally mandated quarantine, CDC Spokesman Scott Pauley told Patch.

Of those 172 Americans, the CDC re-tested 15 passengers for the virus upon their arrival on U.S. soil at the military base in Fairfield, Pauley said in a phone interview with Patch.

CDC test results have now come back positive for five of those passengers, and they are being treated at hospitals in and around Solano County, as are the other 10 passengers whose results were still pending Friday afternoon, Pauley said.

Among those 10 passengers whose CDC re-test results were still pending Friday was the individual being treated 28 miles west of Travis AFB at Queen of the Valley Medical Center in Napa, Pauley said.

CDC is not disclosing which other Northern California hospitals the five American cruise-ship passengers with positive cases — and nine other passengers with pending cases — are being treated.

"We don't want to cause alarm or create fear," Pauley said.

The exception was Queen of the Valley Medical Center in Napa because it is the only full-service hospital in Napa County, Pauley said.

The following statement was sent to Patch Friday from Napa's Queen of the Valley Medical Center:

"St. Joseph Health, Queen of the Valley Medical Center is now monitoring one patient for coronavirus, Covid-19. We continue to work closely with the CDC and Napa County Public Health to care for this patient. The second patient was treated and transferred to another CDC location; the transfer was coordinated by the CDC.
"The remaining patient continues to be monitored in a special isolation room that has negative pressure to minimize the risk of exposure. We are following established infection control protocols and precautions standard to contact and airborne illness that all our caregivers have been trained on to ensure the safety and well-being of our caregivers, patients and visitors.
"Queen of the Valley Medical Center is equipped to handle the virus. Our caregivers are well prepared; they have received training, have practiced for these scenarios and are wearing protective equipment to minimize their risk of exposure. No hospital operations are impacted.
"The risk is very low for exposure to Covid-19 in the US at this time. More information on prevention and treatment of the coronavirus can be obtained on the CDC website or by contacting Napa County Public Health."

Japan has reported that two of its citizens aboard the Diamond Princess have died after contracting COVID-19.

The CDC reported Friday that there are now 14 confirmed cases in the United States.

Two new California cases — one in Humboldt County and one in Sacramento County — have been reported by local public health officials.

While the virus isn't spreading in the U.S. at the moment, Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said "it's possible and even likely" that it will.

She added that currently there is no vaccine or medicines to specifically treat this virus.

"We recognize the uncertainty of the current situation," Messonnier said.

Regarding two previous groups of people quarantined at Travis AFB for possible cases of COVID-19, Pauley said the first group finished its 14-day quarantine and was released Tuesday; the second group completed its quarantine Thursday and was released from the base, he said.

Those evacuees were flown from China to Travis AFB by the U.S. State Department, and arrived Feb. 5 and Feb. 7. Those released are not at risk of spreading the virus because they aren't infected, according to the CDC.

With the exception of 157 Diamond Princess passengers still under quarantine at Travis AFB, the CDC said Friday nearly all other people flown back to the U.S. and housed at military bases during the quarantine have also been allowed to return home.

Bay City News Service contributed to this report.