A group of passengers who were being held overnight aboard a Carnival cruise ship in Long Beach finally left the ship on Sunday, March 8 after a woman who was taken off the vessel to be tested for coronavirus received negative results. Out of an abundance of caution, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) decided to hold the passengers on the ship docked at the Long Beach Cruise Terminal until the patient could be evaluated and tested for COVID-19.
There are zero confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the City of Long Beach, according to a press release from the city.
Preventative measures that can be taken to stay healthy that the city recommends include:
• Wash your hands with soap and water often for at least 20 seconds.
• Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
• Stay home if you are sick.
• If a member of the community has symptoms such as coughing, fever or difficulty breathing, they should contact their primary healthcare provider. The community can also visit longbeach.gov/covid19 for local updates as they become available.
Meanwhile, a Royal Princess cruise that was scheduled to leave Saturday, March 7 from the Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro was canceled at the last minute when the Centers for Disease Control issued a “no-sail order” after learning one of the crew members previously served on a Grand Princess cruise — the same operator where 21 people tested positive for the virus on a ship that remains held near San Francisco.
On Sunday, March 8, federal health officials announced that the Grand Princess passengers from the United States will be divided between three states for quarantine, including California.
The ship will dock in Oakland on Monday, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. At least 1,000 passengers who are California residents will complete the mandatory quarantine at Travis Air Force Base, about 50 miles northeast of Oakland, and Miramar Naval Air Station in San Diego, HHS said. Other passengers will be taken to Joint Base San Antonio Lackland in Texas or Dobbins Air Force Base in Georgia.
At least 21 of the 3,500 people on board have tested positive for COVID-19.
The number of cases in the United States stood at 437 on Sunday, with at least 19 deaths.
Worldwide, the virus has killed more than 3,480 people, and infected more than 102,000.
