Coloradans Aboard Confined Grand Princess Dock In Oakland
(CBS4) - Colorado residents aboard the Grand Princess cruise ship are one step closer to being off the confined ship after more than 20 passengers on board tested positive for coronavirus. On Monday, the ship docked at a port in Oakland, days after passengers had been confined to their cabins due to the virus outbreak.
The ship was greeted by health teams in suits and tents that had been set up at the port.
Sherri Pe'a, of Aurora, is on board with her brother-in-law Tom Gray, of Denver. The two were excited to be one step closer to heading home to see family.
"Yay we're docking in Oakland," Pe'a told CBS4's Makenzie O'Keefe over FaceTime. "You should have heard the ship cheering when we crossed under the Golden Gate Bridge."
Pe'a said it appears the disembarkation process could take days.
"To our understanding, the folks that need medical attention of course are getting off today," Pe'a said. "And then it sounds like they are releasing or taking off some folks from California as well. Our group, out-of-state passengers will likely be the last ones off."
"You can see all the ambulances and buses waiting to transport people to hospitals and military bases in California. Thought you might find it useful."
Pe'a and Gray said they were told they will receive luggage tags and a notice when it's time to pack up.
"We need stuff for 24 hours," they said. "Our medicine, our travel documents and everything, and then they're going to take us off, and I guess transport us to our next destination."
Officials say that will be a military base in either Georgia or Texas. That's where passengers will undergo medical screenings and an additional 14 day quarantine. But these travelers are keeping their spirits up.
"By the end of it when we get home, we'll be almost a three-week extension," Pe'a laughed. "So we are doing well with our travel dollars."
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