Cruise ship passengers will not be quarantined in Oakland, officials assure residents

An ocean liner barred from returning to port in San Francisco due to a coronavirus outbreak on board will dock briefly at a nearby terminal in Oakland, where passengers will be screened and sent on to medical and quarantine sites elsewhere, officials said on Sunday.

The cruise ship Grand Princess, whose guests have been largely confined to their staterooms since Thursday, is due to arrive at the Port of Oakland to begin disembarking its 2,400 passengers as early as Monday, according to a statement by the California Office of Emergency Services.

At an afternoon news conference in Oakland, California Governor Gavin Newsom said the ship was roughly two and a half hours away, but didn't provide details on when the cruise ship would arrive at the port.

Plans call for all 1,100 crew members to remain aboard the vessel, which will depart Oakland as soon as possible following the removal of the passengers.

Officials said the passengers would not be quarantined in Oakland and that they would not come in contact with the general population.