New Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: Grand Princess Cruise Ship To Debark At Port Of Oakland

From the City of Oakland:

March 8, 2020

The State of California (Governor’s Office of Emergency Services) is working with the Federal government (Department of Health and Human Services) to help the passengers on the Grand Princess cruise ship, nearly 1,000 of whom are California residents, disembark from the ship. That operation will take place at the Port of Oakland beginning Monday, March 9; the exact time has not yet been determined. This operation is being led by the federal government, in partnership with the State of California. The Port and City of Oakland were asked to support.

The most recent statement from the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) is here: http://www.oesnews.com/update-on-grand-princess-cruise-ship/.

A few key points to highlight from that update:

The ship will only be docked during the duration of the disembarkment. The ship will depart Oakland as soon as possible and will remain elsewhere for the duration of the ship crew’s quarantine.

The passengers will not be released into the general public.

Passengers who require acute medical treatment and hospitalization will be transported to health care facilities in California.

If passengers do not require acute medical care following health screenings, those who are California residents will go to a federally-run isolation facility within California for testing and isolation. Non-Californians will be transported by the federal government to facilities in other states. The crew will be quarantined and treated aboard the ship.

Governor Newsom also hosted a news conference today with opening remarks from Mayor Libby Schaaf. A link to that video is here: https://bit.ly/39A3jql

During the news conference, Mayor Schaaf articulated her top three priorities: 1) to ensure the safety and health of our community, especially the workers and residents closest to the Port; 2) to ensure that the public and community stay informed, guided by the facts, not fears; 3) to do the right thing to help these people who have been stranded on the ship and not let fear dictate our humanity.

Mayor Schaaf also emphasized that from the outset she made it clear to State and Federal officials that this is a community that has suffered decades of environmental injustice and racism, and she sought and received strong assurances that the operation would:

Employ the best isolation practices known

Minimize the time the ship and its passengers are in Oakland

No one will be released into our community

Why Oakland?

Many people are asking, “Why Oakland?” According to CalOES: “After careful review of all options, the Port of Oakland was selected as the best site for the ship to disembark. There are limited docks that will be able to dock a ship of that size, and the Port of Oakland location was the easiest to seal off, securely move passengers toward their isolation destination and protect the safety of the public.”

Governor Newsom praised Mayor Schaaf and local leaders for their leadership: “The City of Oakland, Alameda County and the Port of Oakland are stepping up in a major way, and their residents deserve universal praise. 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,” said Governor Gavin Newsom.

Mayor Schaaf stated, “Oakland’s role in this operation is to support our state and federal authorities as they conduct a critical public health mission to help those impacted by the COVID-19 virus…I have been assured that no one will be quarantined in Oakland, nor will any passengers be released into the general public.”

This press release was produced by the City of Oakland. The views expressed here are the author’s own.