Hit With COVID-19, 'Grand Princess' Cruise Ship Headed to California Port
(SAN FRANCISCO) — A cruise ship hit by the new coronavirus and headed to the port of Oakland, California, will remain in international waters for at least another day as officials worked on plans to transport passengers to federal facilities around the country and local officials began ordering the closure of schools and public spaces to try and stop the spread of the virus.
The largest school district in Northern California has canceled classes for a week after it was discovered that a family in the district had been exposed to COVID-19. The Elk Grove School District, which is near Sacramento, has nearly 64,000 students.
Gov. Gavin Newsom warned Sunday that more closures are likely around the state as the virus spreads.
The Grand Princess ship, which is carrying more than 3,500 people from 54 countries, is expected to arrive Monday.
Grand Princess Capt. John Smith, in a recording provided by passenger Laurie Miller of San Jose, told passengers Saturday night that “after docking, we will then begin a disembarkation process specified by federal authorities that will take several days.”
Ship passengers who need medical treatment or hospitalization will go to health care facilities in California, while state residents who don’t require acute medical care “will go to a federally run isolation facility within California for testing and isolation,” the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services said in a statement Sunday.
“The crew will be quarantined and treated aboard the ship, but importantly, the ship will only stay in Port of Oakland for the duration of disembarkment. This ship will depart Oakland as soon as possible and will remain elsewhere for the duration of the crew’s quarantine,” the statement said.
U.S. guests from outside California will be transported by the federal government to facilities in other states.
Smith said the information he was given did not include what would happen to passengers from other countries. California officials did not provide those details.
Some Americans will be transferred to military bases in San Antonio, Texas, and Marietta, Georgia, officials said. It was not clear when the groups would arrive.
Vice President Mike Pence announced Friday that at least 21 people aboard the ship, including 19 crew members, have tested positive for the virus.
Meanwhile, the U.S. death toll from the virus is at 22, with all but three victims in Washington state. The number of infections swelled to more than 400, scattered across the U.S.
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