Passengers From Quarantined Ship Prepare To Disembark; Government Warns Americans Against Taking Cruises
"We’re making every effort to get them off the ship as safely and quickly as possible,” said Dr. John Redd of HHS. Passengers have been quarantined after a previous traveler who had disembarked the ship later died from the coronavirus. Meanwhile, the State Department warns against taking cruises, a blanket advisory that shocked some experts.
The Associated Press:
Officials Set To Receive Thousands From Ship Hit By Virus
Federal and state officials in California were preparing Monday to receive thousands of people from a cruise ship that has been idling off the coast of San Francisco with at least 21 people aboard infected with the coronavirus. Fences were being installed at an 11-acre site at the Port of Oakland, as authorities readied flights and buses to whisk the more than 2,000 passengers aboard the Grand Princess to military bases or their home countries for a 14-day quarantine. More than 3,500 on the ship hail from 54 countries. (Rodriguez and Weber, 3/9)
The Wall Street Journal:
Efforts To Battle Coronavirus Escalate Around The Globe
“Nearly 1,000 passengers who are California residents will complete the mandatory quarantine at Travis Air Force Base and Miramar Naval Air Station, and residents of other states will complete the mandatory quarantine at Joint Base San Antonio Lackland in Texas or Dobbins Air Force Base in Georgia,” the Department of Health and Human Services said in a Sunday statement. (Ansari, Wong and Ailworth, 3/8)
Reuters:
Grand Princess Cruise Ship Passengers Bound For Coronavirus Quarantine In California, Elsewhere
Nearly all 1,100 crew members will remain on board the vessel, which will depart Oakland as soon as possible following removal of the passengers and sail for an as-yet undetermined location outside San Francisco Bay for the duration of their two-week quarantine, he said. Passengers requiring acute medical attention and hospitalization will be allowed off the ship first and taken to health care facilities elsewhere in California, as would a relatively limited number of crew expected to need immediate treatment, the governor said. (Gorman and Goldberg, 3/8)
The Hill:
Virus-Stricken Cruise Ship To Dock In Oakland
"The Department of State is working closely with the home countries of several hundred passengers to arrange for repatriation to their countries," HHS added in a statement. (Budryk, 3/8)
Georgia Health News:
34 Georgia Passengers From Cruise Ship Heading To Dobbins Air Base
Gov. Brian Kemp said Sunday that 34 Georgia passengers from the coronavirus-stricken Grand Princess cruise ship, along with others on board, will be transferred to Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Marietta on Monday. The ship has been held off the coast of California after 21 people onboard tested positive for the coronavirus, known as COVID-19. (Miller, 3/8)
The Hill:
Cruise Liner Approved To Dock In Florida After Staff Tested For Coronavirus
A Regal Princess cruise liner was approved to dock in Florida on Sunday after two crew members were tested for possible coronavirus infection. The Florida Sun-Sentinel reported Sunday evening that Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) officials had announced around 6:30 p.m. that the two crewmembers had tested negative, allowing hundreds of passengers and fellow crew to disembark after hours of waiting on board. (Bowden, 3/8)
Los Angeles Times:
Stranded By Coronavirus, Cruise Passengers Eager To Land In Oakland
Stranded aboard the Grand Princess cruise ship stuck off the coast of San Francisco due to a coronavirus outbreak, Karen Spoon was getting frustrated. “I’m starting to feel the effects of cabin fever,” she said Sunday. But detailed plans to get people off the boat at the Port of Oakland as early as Monday made Spoon, from Canada, and others feel more optimistic for the first time in days. (Chabria, 3/9)
Los Angeles Times:
Grand Princess Finally About To Dock. Here's Why Officials Picked Oakland
Gov. Gavin Newsom said at a news conference in Oakland on Sunday that the disembarkation and transfer of passengers would take up to three days. But he warned that the situation was “fluid” and could take longer, in part because the port does not regularly deal with cruise ships, and tides and currents allowed only small windows of time to enter and leave. When finished, the Grand Princess would sail out of San Francisco Bay, he said, with the remaining 1,094 crew members — mostly foreign nationals — to be quarantined on board. (Chabria, King, Wigglesworth and Mozingo, 3/9)
The New York Times:
State Dept. Tells Americans To Avoid Cruise Ships, Despite Trump’s Misgivings
The State Department on Sunday advised Americans against traveling on cruise ships, warning that they presented a higher risk of coronavirus infection and made U.S. citizens vulnerable to possible international travel restrictions, including quarantines. The decision came after President Trump resisted requests from administration officials to publicly urge older travelers to avoid cruise ships and plane travel, saying he thought it would harm those industries, according to two people familiar with the discussions. (Weiland and Haberman, 3/8)
The Washington Post:
U.S. State Department: Americans Should Avoid Cruises During Coronavirus Outbreak
Yet the news came as a shock to some industry experts, who expected additional precautions on ships rather than a blanket advisory against cruise travel. Previously, U.S. officials had only gone as far as saying that senior citizens and people with health conditions should avoid cruising. Vice President Mike Pence, who is heading up the Trump administration’s response to the virus, met with industry leaders Saturday in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., to determine “what more we can do together to protect the American people.” (Shammas and Knowles, 3/8)
The Wall Street Journal:
Health Officials Block Several Princess Cruises Ships
“It goes without saying that if you are elderly, if you have a pre-existing condition, you have issues of lung disease, heart disease, or you have other medical conditions, I would highly recommend—almost demand—that you not go on a cruise,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom said at a Sunday news conference. (Ailworth and Paris, 3/9)
Boston Globe:
State Department Urges US Citizens Not To Travel By Cruise Ship Amid Coronavirus
The post notes that the US Centers for Disease control has advised older adults and travelers with underlying health issues to avoid situations that put them at increased risk for the virus, which entails “avoiding crowded places, avoiding non-essential travel such as long plane trips, and especially avoiding embarking on cruise ships.” (Reiss, 3/8)
