(CNN) — As more Americans get coronavirus on land and at sea, thousands of passengers from an afflicted cruise ship could soon disperse to quarantine centers across the country.
The Grand Princess cruise ship, carrying at least 21 people with coronavirus, is headed to the Port of Oakland, California, where it’s expected to dock Monday, the captain told passengers.
The 21 infected people include 19 crew members and two passengers. But the number of onboard infections could rise, as not all 3,533 people on board have been tested.
The ship has been in limbo since Wednesday, when officials learned a California man who traveled on the same ship last month later died of coronavirus.
On Sunday, the CDC said four people from that February Grand Princess voyage have been diagnosed with coronavirus. It was not immediately clear whether those four include the California man who died.
In a message to the ship’s current passengers, the captain said authorities reached an agreement to bring the ship into the Port of Oakland. The arrival time Monday and the disembarkation process are being finalized by federal and state health authorities.
“Guests who require acute medical treatment and hospitalization will be transported to health care facilities in California. … If guests don’t require acute medical care following health screenings, California residents will go into a federally operated isolation facility within California for testing and isolation,” the captain announced.
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About 1,000 California residents from the ship will go into mandatory quarantine at Travis Air Force Base and Miramar Naval Air Station, the US Department of Health and Human Services said Sunday.
Residents of other states will complete their mandatory quarantine at Joint Base San Antonio Lackland in Texas or Dobbins Air Force Base in Georgia. Throughout the quarantine, passengers will be monitored for symptoms of coronavirus, DHHS said.
Most states now have reported coronavirus cases
At least 21 people have died from the virus — 18 in Washington state, two in Florida and one in California.
The Washington state deaths include 16 linked to the Life Care Center nursing home.
At least 496 people in the US have tested positive for coronavirus, including 70 people who were repatriated to the US.
Worldwide, the number of deaths has topped 3,500, with more than 105,000 people infected.
Hundreds of passengers have been infected from multiple cruise ships
Several cruises have now been linked to patients who were later diagnosed with coronavirus.
On Sunday, Virginia health officials announced the state’s second case of coronavirus — a patient in their 80s who had recently traveled on a Nile River cruise.
The patient, whose name and gender were not released, started developing symptoms of respiratory illness on February 28 and was hospitalized last Thursday, the Virginia Department of Health said. The person is in stable condition Sunday.
But the largest known outbreak on a cruise ship was on the Diamond Princess, a sister ship of the Grand Princess owned by Princess Cruises.
After the first handful of cases were reported from the Diamond Princess, Japanese officials decided to quarantine the ship. Eventually, more than 700 people on board became infected with coronavirus.
Now Princess Cruises, which owns both the Diamond Princess and the Grand Princess, said the CDC has given a “no-sail” order for a scheduled cruise on the Royal Princess ship.
A crew member who recently served on the Grand Princess transferred to the Royal Princess just over two weeks ago, the cruise line said. The CDC issued the no-sail order until the crew member could be tested.
But the cruise line said it was unable to obtain a test for the crew member, and “due to the unknown timing of obtaining the test and results or anticipated response,” the cruise was canceled.
A similar situation was playing out off the coast of Florida. Another Princess Cruises ship, Regal Princess, was being held offshore until the CDC could review and test crew members who were recently on the Grand Princess, according to Broward County officials.
The Regal Princess was scheduled to dock in Port Everglades on Sunday morning before departing later that evening, officials said.
Princess Cruises was awaiting coronavirus tests for two Regal Princess crew members who were on the Grand Princess more than two weeks ago, the cruise line said in a statement. But again, the cruise operator decided to cancel the ship’s next voyage, scheduled to begin Sunday.
The US Coast Guard confirmed it delivered testing kits to a ship off the coast of southern Florida on Sunday morning.
‘Unfortunately, you’re going to see more deaths’
The US response to coronavirus has now shifted from containment to mitigation, Surgeon General Jerome Adams told CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday.
“Initially, we had a posture of containment so that we could give people time to prepare for where we are right now. We’re shifting into a mitigation phase, which means that we’re helping communities understand you’re going to see more cases,” Adams said.
“Unfortunately, you’re going to see more deaths. But that doesn’t mean that we should panic.”
Adams said those who aren’t sick shouldn’t wear face masks — they often cause more harm than good. Instead, people should wash their hands with soap and water frequently for at least 20 seconds and stop touching their faces — something much easier said than done.
Residents at a nursing home linked to deaths are stuck in their rooms
Washington state is grappling with an outbreak at the Life Care Center of Kirkland, a suburban Seattle nursing home connected to at least 14 deaths, the King County Health Department said.
All 63 residents remaining at the facility are confined to their rooms. Dozens more have been transferred to various hospitals, spokesman Tim Killian said.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has provided extra nurses, doctors and other health care personnel to the home after 70 employees showed symptoms and were asked not to return to work, Killian said.
Thousands are asked to self-quarantine
New York state announced 16 new cases on Sunday, bringing the state’s total to 105.
The rising number of cases prompted Gov. Andrew Cuomo to declare a state of emergency Saturday to facilitate purchasing, hiring and testing protocols related to the disease.
State officials have urged more than 2,500 people to self-quarantine as they search for anyone who may have come in contact with patients.
In Washington, DC, officials announced the first case of coronavirus in the nation’s capital Saturday.
That patient has no travel history outside of the United States, District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser said.
But DC Health is recommending a temporarily pause of services at Christ Church Georgetown in light of the confirmed case.
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