Passengers on board Carnival Corp.’s Grand Princess cruise ship were confined to their cabins Wednesday to await medical screening after a former passenger, ac 71-old man, died of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, in California earlier that day.
He was likely exposed to the virus on the cruise from San Francisco to Mexico between February 11 to 21. Another passenger from that cruise, now in nearby Sonoma County, has also tested positive. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday ordered 62 passengers from the previous cruise who stayed on the ship for the current cruise to remain in their cabins until they received a health screening. Eleven passengers and 10 crew aboard the cruise ship also have reported symptoms of the virus.
The cruise ship’s being held off the California coast. The ship is carrying about 2,500 passengers. The Coast Guard will deliver sampling kits to the ship Thursday via helicopter, and a medical team aboard will administer the tests. Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency over the novel coronavirus after a California man died after falling ill with the virus while on a cruise ship.
