A cruise ship scheduled to arrive in Victoria next month has been quarantined off the coast of San Francisco, due fears of a potential coronoavirus outbreak on-board.
The Grand Princess was set to be the first cruise ship to arrive in Victoria’s waters to kick-off the 2020 cruise season, and was originally planned to dock at Ogden Point Terminal on April 3rd.
However, the ship is currently being held in quarantine off the coast of San Francisco by health officials, over fears of a possible COVID-19 outbreak.
The threat of contamination follows the infection of a traveler who was on board the previous voyage, who later died from the disease – he was also the first person to die from coronavirus in California.
At least two others became infected at this time, according to reports from California health officers, and dozens of passengers who were on the voyage with that man are still on the ship.
“The ship will not come on shore until we appropriately assess the passengers,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Thursday.
Coronavirus test kits were reportedly delivered to the ship by helicopter Thursday, and test results were expected Friday, said Mary Ellen Carroll, executive director of the San Francisco Department of Emergency Management.
There are reportedly 2,383 passengers and 1,100 crew members are aboard the ship, and a total of 35 have shown flu-like symptoms during the course of the cruise, though many have recovered and are no longer showing symptoms.
According to a statement from Princess Cruises, fewer than 100 guests and crew members have been identified for testing by the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
