The 71-year-old man died in Placer County, northeast of Sacramento, according to a press release from county officials. He had been placed in isolation at the Kaiser Permanente hospital in Roseville, they said.
The man, who tested positive for coronavirus Tuesday in a Californian laboratory, was on a cruise from February 11 to 21 which took off from San Francisco and went to Mexico.
Placer County officials said the man had minimal community exposure after returning from the cruise before entering the hospital. They said other cruise lines may also have been exposed.
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Placer County Public Health is working with Sacramento County Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to find and contact other cruise lines.
“We extend our deepest condolences to the loved ones of this patient,” Placer County health official Dr. Aimee Sisson said in the release. “Although we expect more cases, this death is an unfortunate step in our efforts to fight this disease. , and that we never wanted to see. “
Princess Cruises chief physician Dr. Grant Tarling on Wednesday sent a letter to current Grand Princess passengers, some of whom were on the Feb ship. From February 11 to 21.
In the letter, Tarling informed passengers that the CDC is investigating a small group of cases in northern California as part of the recent Grand Princess trip.
Guests who stayed on Grand Princess for a second navigation were asked to quarantine in their cabins until they were cleared.
“For guests who have sailed with us on our previous trip and who may have been exposed, with great caution, the CDC requires you to stay in your cabin until you have been contacted and authorized by our medical staff “, reads a letter, posted on the Princess Cruises website.
A similar letter was distributed to former passengers who had sailed on the Grand Princess, according to the cruise line.
“The CDC continues to actively collect information and is working with us to determine, if appropriate, what to do during the current cruise to Hawaii and upon return of the ship to San Francisco,” said Princess Cruises in a statement provided by a spokeswoman. Alivia Owyoung Ender in the USA TODAY.
The cruise line shared travel and health data with the CDC to facilitate their reporting to state and county health authorities to notify people who may have been exposed during the previous cruise.
Princess Cruises also owns the Diamond Princess, the ship that was quarantined in Yokohama, Japan, and has experienced a coronavirus epidemic that has infected more than 700 passengers.
The cruise ship Princess met a violent protest in Reunion for lack of coronavirus tests
On Sunday, Princess Princess encountered riots during her stopover in the port of Reunion on Sunday, Princess Cruises confirmed in the United States today.
The reason? Concerns over the coronavirus, which has infected more than 94,000 people and killed 3,214 people worldwide, according to data from Johns Hopkins. No case of coronavirus had been reported in Réunion on Wednesday, nor on the ship.
When the ship docked on French territory, located off the southeast coast of Africa, near Madagascar, the passengers were greeted by a crowd of around thirty people, according to Agence France-Presse . They insisted that passengers undergo health inspections and tried to prevent them from leaving the port area.
The violence started when the police got involved, AFP said, and protesters threw stones and bottles at them. Local authorities used tear gas on the protesters in response.
“Of course, we are not against the arrival of tourists – they are necessary for the development of our economy. We just want to be sure that there is no risk of the coronavirus spreading, ”Yannis Latchimy, a protester, told AFP. “We don’t know if these people are sick – they haven’t been tested. It’s very dangerous.”
During the disembarkation, passengers were offered face masks and pamphlets on coronavirus prevention, but their temperature was not raised.
Some passengers leaving the port by shuttle were also greeted by rocks.
“Some passengers were very distressed, and others smoked, smoked when they returned,” said Rod Pascoe, a New Zealand passenger traveling with his wife on the Sun Princess at the New Zealand Herald.
The ship, carrying about 2,000 passengers, had been turned back from a port in Madagascar on February 13, as 14 days had not yet passed since its visit to Thailand, where an epidemic of coronavirus had started. He made several stops in South Africa after being refused entry by Thailand, according to the cruise tracking website, CruiseMapper.
Princess Cruises said on Wednesday that there was no coronavirus problem on the ship.
“We can confirm that there are no cases of COVID-19 on board the Sun Princess. Sun Princess returns to Fremantle (Australia) as scheduled on March 10,” said Princess Cruises in a statement shared with USA TODAY by spokesperson Alivia Owyoung Ender. Wednesday.
Sun Princess was also denied entry to neighboring Mauritius on Monday, said Owyoung Ender.
It was not the first time that the Mauritian authorities had taken such a measure: in late February, Alitalia transported 40 passengers from regions of northern Italy who had been badly affected by the coronavirus to Rome after officials told the carrier that these people should either leave or quarantine on the island.
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Former MSC Opera passenger on cruise tests positive for coronavirus
MSC Cruises MSC Opera passengers were recalled from their shore excursion to Athens after a former passenger tested positive after disembarking in Genoa, Italy.
Austrian health authorities have informed MSC Cruises that an Austrian passenger who had been on the MSC Opera during a cruise in the eastern Mediterranean from 17 to 28 February tested positive for the coronavirus on Tuesday. The passenger returned to Austria via northern Italy on February 28 after disembarking from the cruise in Genoa, Italy.
Mike Knotts, originally from San Antonio, but traveling from his home in Frankfurt, Germany, is aboard the MSC Opera. With all the other people currently on the ship, he received a letter from the captain of the MSC Opera concerning the news after the end of their excursion.
“I just learned – and I wanted you to know right away – that we were contacted by the Austrian health authorities who informed us that a previous passenger who had sailed with us last week on the MSC Opera, was diagnosed with COVID-19, “reads a copy of the letter obtained by USA TODAY. “The passenger, an Austrian national, disembarked the MSC Opera in Genoa, Italy on Friday February 28 in the morning, and is currently back in Austria. To be clear: this person is not on board.”
According to CruiseMapper, the ship sailed from Rome on February 27 and its first port was in Genoa, where the infected passenger disembarked the next day after spending 11 days on board. Since the MSC Opera has several ports of embarkation, passengers may have different departure dates and locations.
“A small number of passengers who were on her cruise are also on board this week’s cruise,” spokesperson Alyssa Goldfarb told USA TODAY in an email.
When the ship arrived in Piraeus, Greece, the MSC informed the Greek health authorities of the case and asked for advice. They asked the passengers to stay on board while they waited for instructions.
“We have shared with the local health authorities the complete medical records of the vessel as well as the medical records and travel history of the former Austrian passenger,” MSC Cruises said in a statement provided by Goldfarb to USA TODAY.
The ship was cleared to continue its voyage to its next port in Corfu, Greece.
“I haven’t seen anything that worries or worries people either,” Knotts told USA TODAY. “Everything is normal so far.”
No passenger or crew member showed symptoms, according to the cruise line.
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Carnival implements route changes to prevent ships from being turned back
Carnival Cruise Line is implementing route changes for two of its vessels to avoid the possibility of being diverted from ports.
The changes affect the routes of Carnival Horizon and Carnival Freedom, which are scheduled to travel to Grand Cayman and Jamaica this week.
“A number of destinations in the Caribbean continue to adhere to their policies regarding cruise ship tours,” said Vance Gulliksen, spokesperson for Carnival Cruise Line, in a statement by email to USA TODAY. “And while we follow all of the CDC and World Health Organization screening protocols and guidelines, we want to avoid any possibility of visiting a destination where there is uncertainty or we risk being refused. “
There are no health conditions on board, but Carnival wants to avoid any risk of disruption.
“We understand that some customers will be disappointed and hope they understand that this decision is made to protect their vacation and maximize their experience with us,” said Gulliksen.
The ships will make three more stops, just at different ports, including: Amber Cove, Dominican Republic; Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos; and Nassau, Bahamas.
“Our CEO, Arnold Donald, met with Caribbean leaders on Sunday to let them know that we needed more certainty and, in the absence of certainty, we implemented our decision.
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The ship stopped in Norway to test the virus; two negative passengers
Two AIDAaura passengers tested negative for coronavirus after concerns arrested the German ship in Norway, the cruise line said in a statement provided by Hansjörg Kunze, vice president of communications and sustainability at Costa Cruises, which operates AIDA Cruises.
The test was caused by a passenger who was informed that people in his work environment had tested positive for the coronavirus.
The cruise line decided that it would be best to have the COVID-19 tested by the passenger and his companion by the local Norwegian authorities. On Tuesday afternoon, they received their negative test results, and AIDAaura continued its journey.
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MS Westerdam to dock in Alaska on March 22
Holland America’s MS Westerdam, the cruise ship that has been hijacked from several ports in Asia due to fears of coronavirus, is being repositioned in Alaska.
The Westerdam is expected to dock at Juneau in late March, Erik Elvejord, spokesperson for Holland America Line, in the US TODAY confirmed in an email. The capital of Alaska has not reported any virus cases.
By the time MS Westerdam arrives at Juneau, the ship has been empty of guests for more than a month, said the cruise line.
A Westerdam passenger tested positive for the virus after disembarking, but has since been cleared. By February 19, all passengers had left the ship and the crew had also tested negative.
Holland America Line canceled its Asia crossings last month, saying it was concerned about ports refusing its cruise ships.
The Westerdam will stay in Juneau for less than three weeks before starting its summer cruise season in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest. The ship will be inactive during these weeks rather than trying to sell last-minute cruises after canceling its Asia crossings.
“Although there have never been any suspected cases of coronavirus on board despite media reports and the post-cruise case was later announced to be negative in a new test, the ship will undergo a thorough cleaning process while transiting the Pacific from an abundance of caution, “the cruise line said in the statement. “We thank the Juneau community in advance for hosting our hard-working team.”
Cruise restrictions have increased as coronavirus rages
Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), the leading trade organization in the cruise industry, has issued industry-wide restrictions that it has continued to update for all member cruise lines. CLIA members represent approximately 90% of ocean cruises.
On Wednesday, all members agreed to adopt additional screening measures to combat COVID-19. The biggest change is that the new guidelines now include affected countries after the trade group released its original guidelines on February 7. In addition to China, Hong Kong and Macao, the list now includes South Korea, Iran and parts of Italy. They also impose controls on anyone who has visited an affected area in the past 14 days, including airports.
CLIA member vessels:
- “Deny boarding to all persons who have traveled to, visited or transited through airports in South Korea, Iran, China, including Hong Kong and Macao, and to any municipality in Italy subject to measures lockout (quarantine) by the Italian government, as designated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, within 14 days of embarkation.
- Perform disease screening for all people who have traveled to, visited, or transited through airports at all destinations listed on the US CDC page titled “Coronavirus Disease 2019 Information for Travel” within 14 days before boarding. Screening for the disease includes checking the history of symptoms of fever, cough and difficulty breathing in the 14 days before boarding and taking the temperature.
- Deny boarding to all persons who, in the 14 days prior to boarding, have been in contact with, or assisted in the care of, any person suspected or diagnosed as having COVID-19, or who are currently undergoing medical surveillance for possible exposure to COVID-19.
- Carry out the pre-boarding control necessary to carry out these preventive measures. Improved screening and initial medical support should be provided, if necessary, to anyone with symptoms of suspected COVID-19. “
Cruise lines adapt travel restrictions as the coronavirus spreads: See the latest rules, waiver
Contributor: The Associated Press, Cruise Critic
