A former cruise ship passenger has died from coronavirus almost two weeks after he returned home, marking California’s first death from the illness and the 11th death across the US.
Now the same ship is headed back to California from a different voyage with 2,500 passengers on board — including dozens who went on the same trip as the California man who died.
At least 11 passengers and 10 crew members currently on board Princess Cruises’ Grand Princess ship have developed symptoms, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said.
The ship was headed back to the California coast Thursday morning so federal health officials can screen the people on board.
The unidentified man who died in California was 71 and had underlying health conditions, Placer County health officials said.
He was likely exposed to the virus on the cruise from San Francisco to Mexico between February 11 to 21. His death was announced Wednesday.
After the Grand Princess finished its Mexico trip last month, it went on another cruise to Hawaii. Princess Cruises said 62 of people on the current cruise were on the previous voyage with the man who later died.
The governor declared a state of emergency and said local health officials are working with their federal counterparts to trace people who’d had contact with the patient.
“This emergency proclamation will help the state further prepare our communities and our health care system in the event it spreads more broadly,” he said.
Princess Cruises said it’s shared relevant travel and health data with the CDC to help notify state and county health officials, who will follow up with anyone who may have been exposed to coronavirus.
Test kits will be delivered by helicopter
To screen passengers for coronavirus, the Coast Guard will deliver kits to the ship Thursday by helicopter. A medical team on board will then administer the tests.
The test samples will then be sent by helicopter to a lab in Richmond, California, Princess Cruises said.
The cruise line said federal health officials are requiring anyone from the previous voyage to remain in their rooms until they’ve been cleared.
The cruise ship canceled its call to Ensenada, Mexico, which was scheduled for Thursday, and headed back to San Francisco. It’s not clear exactly when the ship will arrive.
Passenger Cheri Breault Harris is confined to her room because she was a passenger on the previous voyage.
“They were going to examine us today, but that never happened,” Harris said Wednesday. “I guess they are waiting for the CDC to say what to do after we get to San Francisco.”
Harris said she’s “not happy about being confined,” but “luckily, my husband and I like each other.”
“Spirits are as high as can be under the circumstances,” she said. “We are blessed to be healthy, comfortable and well-fed.”
In another part of the ship, Mark Pace and his wife Beth are celebrating her birthday on the cruise. They sailed from San Francisco to Hawaii, where they spent four days on several islands.
The Florida couple said they were not confined to their rooms as of Wednesday night. Pace said the cruise ship had canceled its theater shows, but the casino was open.
“We are a little nervous about it. We knew it was a possibility,” Pace said. “We came prepared with two weeks of extra medication and my laptop so that I could work if we were confined.”
Pace said they’ve noticed subtle changes on the cruise. They had to wash their hands and use hand sanitizer before getting a plate and silverware for the buffet.
“And crew handled everything,” he said. “We were not allowed to serve ourselves.”
US coronavirus cases and deaths keep rising
Health officials are urging local communities to think of ways to stop the coronavirus from spreading as the number of cases topped 160 nationwide.
That number includes at least 46 former passengers of the Diamond Princess cruise ship, the site of a recent coronavirus outbreak and quarantine.
At least 11 people have died from coronavirus across the US. In addition to the former Grand Princess passenger in California, 10 people have died in Washington state — including many who are linked to a long-term nursing facility near Seattle.
