Coronavirus: At least two SCV residents quarantined aboard Diamond Princess

"Cruise Ship leaving Seattle" by harry_nl is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
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At least two Santa Clarita residents are among the more than 3,700 passengers on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship that has been quarantined off the coast of Yokohama, Japan, after a former passenger tested positive for the coronavirus — the first of 61 cases reported to be confirmed aboard the ship. 

Among the passengers are KHTS Radio co-owners Carl Goldman and Jeri Serrati-Goldman, who confirmed their well-being to The Signal via text message on Friday. 

The couple described their experience as “an adventure,” according to a news story KHTS released Friday afternoon. 

“It’s been an adventure,” Goldman said in the KHTS report. “We are quarantined in our cabin for two weeks. The Princess crew has been stellar, delivering three great meals a day to our room and trying to take care of our needs.” 

Onboard were 2,666 guests and 1,045 crew members, all of whom have been reviewed for symptoms by the Japanese Ministry of Health, according to Princess Cruises officials via a statement posted on the company website Thursday. 

Of those screened, the Santa Clarita-based Princess Cruises confirmed a total of 61 diagnosed cases of coronavirus by Thursday evening after the Japanese Ministry of Health notified the cruise line of an additional 41 people screened who tested positive for the virus. On Wednesday, the number of cases was at 20, the cruise line confirmed in a statement.

A total of 11 Americans on the ship had been diagnosed with the coronavirus as of Thursday, according to Princess’ statements. Officials with the cruise line did not respond to requests for comment Friday on whether any of those affected are from the Santa Clarita Valley or the greater Los Angeles area. 

The quarantine end date is Feb. 19 and those testing positive are expected to be transported to local hospitals immediately, the cruise line said. 

Guests have been provided complimentary internet and telephone service to stay in contact with family and loved ones and in-room activities, as well as will receive a full refund and cruise credit, Princess added in its statement. 

The cruise ship, on a 14-day round trip through Southeast Asia, departed from Yokohama on Jan. 20 and was scheduled to return on Feb. 4, but Princess Cruises conducted a turnaround of the ship on its final day “to allow Japan public health authorities the opportunity to review the health status of all guests and crew on board,” according to a Princess statement issued Tuesday.

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