Coronavirus: Grand Princess cruise ship held off California coast over fears it could be site of new outbreak
After the Diamond Princess cruise ship, the fate of the passengers of a related cruise ship line named Grand Princess - currently, off California's shores - are in limbo.
The reason: health authorities fear that the ship could be the site of another coronavirus outbreak following the death of a passenger in California who was on the cruise last month. It now has 2,500 people on board and a few are already showing symptoms for COVID-19.
The ship was to head to Ensenada on March 5. With this turn of events, the Grand Princess will be sailing directly to San Francisco. But the "exact date and time for arrival to be determined", the ship authorities said in a statement.
"That ship is now being delayed to provide ample opportunity for CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) in partnership with Coast Guard and state health officials to conduct tests because we have several passengers and crew members that have developed symptoms on this cruise ship,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom said.
Further, ship authorities have quarantined 62 passengers who may have come in contact with the deceased.
The governor has not outlined his next steps after testing. But the scars left from the Diamond Princess quarantine run deep. A study found that the quarantine raised cases from 70 to 700, four times higher than the worst infection rate on land.
"I admit, our isolation policy was not perfect," Dr. Shigeru Omi, a health advisor to the Japanese government, said at a press conference. "No place is perfect except in a hospital," he added.
State of emergency in California
Amid the rising cases in California, Newsom has declared a State of Emergency. This will pave the way for more funds, helping the state better respond to the coronavirus threat. The state has reported 53 confirmed cases and one death.
Overall, the US has confirmed 159 cases and at least 11 deaths, as of March 5.
The authorities have not disclosed the identity of the deceased, except that the patient, a resident of Placer County, was aboard the cruise ship that traveled from San Francisco to Mexico last month.
Another passenger, a resident of California's Sonoma County who was on the previous voyage with the deceased, has also tested positive. This patient has reported atypical "gastrointestinal and cardiovascular symptoms," the company said.
For now, 11 passengers and 10 crew members have developed symptoms on the ship and they need to be checked, Newsom said. Until then, the ship will be held at sea, Newsom added.