During the COVID-19 pandemic, former passengers of the cruise shipGrand Princess who had tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 were being linked to cruises they had taken on the ship while it traveled between California, Mexico, and Hawaii. After the first confirmed death on 4 March 2020, Grand Princess was rerouted to the San Francisco Bay Area, where it was anchored offshore while test kits were airlifted to the ship. Preliminary testing found 21 positive cases, and the ship later docked in Oakland on 9 March 2020, with over 3,000 people entering quarantine.
As of 28April2020[update], at least 122[lower-alpha 2] people who were on Grand Princess when it was rerouted are known to have tested positive for the virus, and 7 people have died.
On 4 March 2020, public health officials from Placer County, California reported that an elderly resident with underlying health conditions who had died earlier that day had tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 after returning from a cruise from San Francisco to Mexico and back on Grand Princess between 11 and 21 February.[3][4][5][6] This marked the first death known at the time[lower-alpha 4] in California attributable to the virus.[9][10] The source of the new case's infection appeared to be the same as that of a resident of Sonoma County who tested positive on 2 March and who was also aboard Grand Princess on the same dates.[11][12]
Consequently, Princess Cruises, the owner and operator of Grand Princess, working with the government of California, and public health officials in San Francisco, terminated a port call in Ensenada, Mexico planned for 5 March and returned to San Francisco over concerns about the potential for an outbreak on board.[13]
After Grand Princess docked in San Francisco on 21 February, 62 passengers who had been on the previous cruise to Mexico reboarded the ship as it set sail for Hawaii, making stops at Kauai, Oahu, Maui, and Hilo (on the Big Island) between 26 and 29 February.[14][15] These passengers, who may have made been exposed to the same environment as were the Placer or Sonoma County cases during the previous cruise, were quarantined in their own on-board staterooms on 4 March after delayed recommendation by CDC.[13] In addition, eleven passengers and ten crew members were exhibiting potential symptoms, and Grand Princess was ordered by the government of California to remain offshore while the California National Guard's 129th Rescue Wing airlifted test kits by helicopter to the ship.[16][17][18]
On 5 March, Princess Cruises confirmed that there were 3,533 people on board the ship—2,422 passengers and 1,111 crew members—representing 54 nationalities in total.[19]
On 6 March, U.S. Vice PresidentMike Pence announced that of the 46 tests run on selected passengers and crew members on Grand Princess, 19 crew members and two passengers had tested positive, 24 had tested negative, and one test was inconclusive.[2] Pence announced at a White House Coronavirus Task Force briefing that the ship would be brought to a non-commercial port, and that everyone on the ship would be tested and quarantined as necessary.[2] On 6 March, President Trump said that, despite what experts told him about limiting the spread of the virus, he wanted those on board Grand Princess to stay on the ship so that they would not be counted as American cases, which would otherwise "double because of one ship that wasn't our fault."[20]
On 7 March, Princess Cruises confirmed that Grand Princess was still at sea roughly 50 miles (80km) from San Francisco, and that it was scheduled to dock in Oakland on 9 March, with its passengers to be transferred to facilities on land while the crew would be quarantined and treated on board.[19][21][22][23] The United States Coast Guard had airlifted supplies, including personal protective equipment, to the ship, and had medivacked a critically ill passenger and his travel companion for treatment unrelated to the virus.[19]
On 9 March, the ship docked at the Port of Oakland and passengers started disembarking.[24] More than 3,000 people on board were to be quarantined, with passengers at land facilities and the crew on board.[25] By 22:00 that evening, 407 people had disembarked, by 10 March, 1,406 people had disembarked, and by 12 March, 2,042 people had disembarked.[19] On 16 March, Grand Princess undocked from the Port of Oakland and anchored in San Francisco Bay with 6 foreign passengers, 340 crew members, and 75 medical workers.[26]
By 25 March, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said that, of the 1,103 passengers who elected to be tested, 103 tested positive, 699 tested negative, and the remaining results were pending.[1] Nearly two-thirds of the passengers quarantined at Travis Air Force Base refused to take the test, with some passengers stating that federal officials had discouraged them from doing so, and others admitting that they did not want to be tested because they wanted to be released from quarantine.[27]
On 7 April, Grand Princess docked at Pier 35 in San Francisco for supplies before leaving San Francisco the next evening.[26][28]
As of 20 April 2020, neither the CDC, nor the HHS appeared to have made any subsequent test results that they conducted public.[29] In addition, some passengers complained about waiting for weeks without getting test results back from CDC and HHS, and some passengers have not been tested at all even though they showed symptoms upon disembarkation, despite Vice President Pence's earlier claim that all passengers would be tested.[29][27][30]
A spokesperson from the Department of Health and Human Services stated that four passengers in quarantine died of the virus.[36] The table above lists four passengers who disembarked after Grand Princess docked in Oakland, but as two of them were transferred directly from the ship to the hospital, it is unclear if the spokesperson had considered those two passengers to have been "in quarantine".
Cases previously disembarked
Passengers who tested positive for the virus but had disembarked Grand Princess before the ship was rerouted to the San Francisco Bay Area were often reported separately from the passengers that eventually disembarked at Oakland.[citation needed]
2 March
California: The Sonoma County Department of Health confirmed that a former passenger of Grand Princess, on the cruise from San Francisco to Mexico, was a (presumptive) case.[38]
3 March
California: Placer County officials confirmed that a former passenger of Grand Princess, also on the cruise from San Francisco to Mexico, was a (presumptive) case.[39] Officials confirmed the next day that the passenger had died.[4][5][9]
5 March
Canada: Alberta: Alberta reported its first presumptive case, a woman in her 50s who lives in the Calgary area, was on board Grand Princess and returned to Alberta on 21 February.[40]
United States:
California:
Placer County: Officials reported an additional three presumptive positive cases, with all three having travelled on the same cruise on the same dates.[41]
Sonoma County: Health officials announced another positive presumptive case who was a passenger on the same cruise between 11 and 21 February.[42]
Sunnyvale: Department of Public Safety officers reported that they performed CPR on an unconscious 72-year-old patient who was not breathing, but were ultimately unsuccessful in reviving him.[43] After the man died, a family member informed officials that the victim had been a passenger on Grand Princess with two other people currently suspected of being infected.[43] The passenger was later determined to be negative for the virus.[44]
Nevada: The Washoe County Health District announced that a presumptive positive patient, a male in his 50s, has been linked to Grand Princess.[45] He self-isolated at home.[45] An elementary school in Reno was closed because one of the man's family members is a student there.[45]
6 March
Canada: Ontario: Health officials confirmed that two new cases, a married man and woman in their 60s, were aboard Grand Princess from 11 to 21 February and returned to Canada on 28 February.[46]
United States:
California:
Alameda County: Officials confirmed that a former passenger of Grand Princess, an older patient with underlying health problems, has tested positive.[47] The former passenger was on the ship during the trip to Mexico from 11 to 21 February 2020. The patient was hospitalised and family members were quarantined.
Contra Costa County: Health officials announced that two new cases have been identified, with both having traveled on the same cruise on the same dates.[48]
Marin County: The health department announced that two Marin County residents who were on the cruise and displayed symptoms had also been tested, but Governor Gavin Newsom had prioritized the testing of the passengers who were on board Grand Princess, and all the tests were going through the same lab.[49] On 2020.03.09, county officials announced that one of the passengers had tested positive, marking the first positive case in the county.[50] On 2020.03.27, officials announced that the same passenger had died after being hospitalized for nearly three weeks, marking the first death attributable to the virus in the county.[51]
Hawaii: Governor David Ige announced the state's first case, a male Oahu resident who was a passenger on Grand Princess.[33][52] Although the ship stopped in Hawaii in late February, the man disembarked Grand Princess in Mexico earlier in February (before it returned in San Francisco on 21 February) and flew back home to Honolulu from Mexico.[33][52][31]
Illinois: The Illinois and Chicago public-health departments announced that a former passenger of Grand Princess tested (presumptive) positive. The passenger, a woman in her 50s, had traveled on the same cruise to Mexico and disembarked at San Francisco on 21 February. She was hospitalized and isolated in stable condition. She is a special education assistant in the Chicago public school system, and the school where she worked was to be closed the following week, with all at-risk staff requested to self-quarantine for 14 days.[53]
Utah: The Department of Health confirmed that the first (presumptive) case in Utah is a former passenger of Grand Princess living in Davis County.[54]
7 March
Canada: British Columbia: Health officials announced that two cases are former passengers of Grand Princess. Both in their 60s, the two patients rode the ship to Mexico and back to California.[55]
United States: California: Fresno County: Officials confirmed that a former passenger of Grand Princess had tested positive.[56] The former passenger was on the ship during the trip to Mexico from 11 to 21 February 2020. The family of the patient is reported to be self-monitoring.
Lawsuits
At least a dozen lawsuits have been filed by passengers of Grand Princess against companies responsible for the cruise ship.[57]
On 9 March 2020, a lawsuit was filed against Princess Cruise Lines by a Floridian couple that were passengers still aboard Grand Princess at the time.[58] The lawsuit alleged that Princess Cruise Lines did not screen passengers appropriately for the virus prior to boarding[lower-alpha 14] and that the cruise line did not warn passengers that symptoms of the virus had been observed on passengers of the previous voyage.[58][59]
On 8 April 2020, a lawsuit was filed against Princess Cruise Lines, Fairline Shipping International Corporation, and Carnival Corporation by nine Northern Californians who were passengers of the Hawaii cruise.[60][61] The lawsuit alleged that the defendants did not screen passengers appropriately, did not disinfect the ship properly, and did not quarantine passengers until around 5 March 2020.[60][57] The lawsuit also alleged that the defendants did not inform passengers that coronavirus symptoms had been reported by passengers on the previous voyage, that passengers from the previous voyage who stayed aboard the ship for the Hawaii cruise had been exposed to the virus, and that a former passenger had died.[60][57] One of the plaintiffs was infected by the virus and hospitalized at an ICU.[60]
On 14 April 2020, a lawsuit was filed against Princess Cruise Lines by the widow of a retired Dallas firefighter who was a passenger that died of the virus.[34] The lawsuit alleged that Princess Cruise Lines did not warn the couple that an outbreak on board the ship had sickened passengers during its previous voyage.[34]
On 4 May 2020, a lawsuit was filed against Princess Cruise Lines and Carnival Corporation by the son of a retired Lehigh County steel worker who was a passenger that died of the virus.[62] The lawsuit alleged that passengers were not informed that passengers on the previous voyage had exhibited symptoms consistent with the virus and that there were crew members aboard that had been exposed to the virus.[62]
↑ Date first results of people still on board was reported
1 2 This includes 103 passengers[1] and 19 crew members.[2] It is unclear if the 2 passengers listed in the second source have been included in the first source.[1][2] In addition, this value does not include those who disembarked before the ship was rerouted.
1 2 It would be discovered on 21 April 2020 that a 57-year-old woman from San Jose had died on 6 February 2020 from the virus.[7][8]
1 2 3 The Princess Cruises brochure's illustration of the order that the islands are visited conflicts with that of the crew itinerary.[31][32] However, after the ship had already made the stops, a local news source published an itinerary that conformed with the crew itinerary.[32][33] In addition, the brochure has a disclaimer that the actual port order may vary.[31]
↑ Date of announcement of death in italics if actual date of death was not reported
↑ Specifically, the couple stated that upon boarding, the only screening procedure they encountered was that they were "simply asked to fill out a piece of paper confirming they were not sick".[58]
Related Research Articles
Princess Cruises is an American cruise line owned by Carnival Corporation & plc. The company is incorporated in Bermuda and its headquarters are in Santa Clarita, California. As of 2021, it is the second largest cruise line by net revenue. It was previously a subsidiary of P&O Princess Cruises, and is currently under the Holland America Group & plc, which holds executive control over the Princess Cruises brand. The line has 15 ships cruising global itineraries that are marketed to both American and international passengers.
Diamond Princess is a British-registered cruise ship owned and operated by Princess Cruises. She began operation in March 2004 and primarily cruises in Asia during the northern hemisphere summer and Australia during the southern hemisphere summer. She is a subclassed Grand-class ship, which is also known as a Gem-class ship. Diamond Princess and her sister ship, Sapphire Princess, are the widest subclass of Grand-class ships, as they have a 37.5-metre beam, while all other Grand-class ships have a beam of 36 metres. Diamond Princess and Sapphire Princess were both built in Nagasaki, Japan, by Mitsubishi Industries.
Coral Princess is a Coral-class cruise ship operated by Princess Cruises, a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation & plc. The Panamax vessel, along with sister ship Island Princess, was launched in 2002.
MV Artania is a cruise ship chartered since 2011 by Phoenix Reisen, a German-based travel agency and cruise ship operator. She was built for Princess Cruises by Wärtsilä at the Helsinki Shipyard, Finland, and was launched on 18 February 1984.
MSC Musica is the first Musica-class cruise ship built in 2006 and operated by MSC Cruises. The vessel has 1,268 passenger cabins which can accommodate 2,550 passengers double occupancy, served by approximately 987 crew members.
The Ruby Princess is a Crown-class cruise ship owned and operated by Princess Cruises.
This article documents the chronology and epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 in February 2020, the virus which causes the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and is responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic. The first human cases of COVID-19 were identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019.
Early in 2020, in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, the disease spread to a number of cruise ships, with the nature of such ships – including crowded semi-enclosed areas, increased exposure to new environments, and limited medical resources – contributing to the heightened risk and rapid spread of the disease.
The COVID-19 pandemic in Cambodia was a part of the ongoing worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. The first imported case in Cambodia was detected in Sihanoukville on 27 January 2020. Although a number of imported cases and transmission to direct contacts were confirmed throughout 2020, no community transmission was detected until 29 November 2020. As of July 2021, Phnom Penh has been the most affected province with the majority of infections and deaths. Banteay Meanchey has the second-highest number of infections, whereas Kandal has second-highest number of deaths.
The COVID-19 pandemic in Texas is a part of the ongoing viral pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a novel infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The state of Texas confirmed its first case on February 13, 2020, among U.S. nationals evacuated from China to Joint Base San Antonio–Lackland beginning in early February; however, retrospective analyses have suggested a much earlier origin than previously thought. The first documented case of COVID-19 in Texas outside of evacuees at Lackland was confirmed on March 4 in Fort Bend County, and many of the state's largest cities recorded their first cases throughout March. The state recorded its first death associated with the disease on March 17 in Matagorda County.
The COVID-19 pandemic in Hawaii affected all aspects of life in the state, demolishing its economy, closing its schools and straining its healthcare system, even though it experienced far less spread than other US states.
The following is a timeline of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States during 2020.
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the cause of the COVID-19 pandemic, was detected on the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt in March 2020 while she was at sea. Affected crew members were evacuated and the ship was ordered to Guam. The captain, Brett Crozier, wanted most of the crew to be removed from the ship to prevent the spread of the disease, but his superiors were reluctant. After several days Crozier e-mailed three of his superior officers and seven other Navy Captains, outlining a plan for the ship to be largely evacuated because the virus could not be contained on board. The letter leaked to the press, and the next day the Navy ordered most of the crew to be taken ashore, but the captain was relieved of command by Acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas Modly. Modly's order was controversial, and his later speech to the crew aboard Theodore Roosevelt was criticized. Modly resigned a few days later. By mid-April hundreds of crew members including Crozier had tested positive for the virus, and one had died.
In connection with the COVID-19 pandemic, navies from several countries deployed hospital ships to combat the disease. Aside from providing health services, hospital ships would allow civilian hospitals to offload some of the patients, relieving the pressure on facilities ashore. However, this also means that each ship would battle the onboard outbreaks of their own
The COVID-19 pandemic spread to many military ships. The nature of these ships, which includes working with others in small enclosed areas and a lack of private quarters for the vast majority of crew, contributed to the rapid spread of the disease, even more so than on cruise ships.
The Diamond Princess is a British-registered luxury and cruise ship that is operated by Princess Cruises, a holiday company based in the United States and Bermuda. In February 2020, during a cruise of the Western Pacific, cases of COVID-19 were detected on board. The vessel was quarantined off Japan for two weeks, after which all remaining passengers and crew were evacuated. Of the 3,711 people on board, 712 became infected with the virus – 567 of 2,666 passengers, and 145 of 1,045 crew. Figures for total deaths vary from early to later assessments, and because of difficulties in establishing causation. As many as 14 are reported to have died from the virus, all of them older passengers – an overall mortality rate for those infected of 2%.
Overseas Filipinos, including Filipino migrant workers outside the Philippines, have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. As of June 1, 2021, there have been 19,765 confirmed COVID-19 cases of Filipino citizens residing outside the Philippines with 12,037 recoveries and 1,194 deaths. The official count from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on the cases of overseas Filipinos is not included in the national tally of the Philippine government. Repatriates on the other hand are included in the national tally of the Department of Health (DOH) but are listed separately from regional counts.
The following is a timeline of the COVID-19 pandemic in California.
The following is a timeline of the COVID-19 pandemic in Texas.
This article documents the chronology and epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2, the virus which causes the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and is responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia during 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
