A person being treated for coronavirus in Californa had taken a Princess Cruises line to Mexico from the Port of San Francisco in February, public health officials confirmed Tuesday evening.
The patient reported symptoms after returning from the Feb. 11 to Feb. 21 cruise on the Grand Princess ship and is under treatment at an undisclosed hospital in Sonoma County, in northern California. Officials announced the confirmed case Monday but did disclose the name of the ship.
Princess Cruises offers a ten-day trip from San Francisco to Mexico that takes passengers through Puerto Vallarta, Manzanillo, Mazatlan, and Cabo San Lucas.
It’s unknown if the patient was infected with the virus at the time of his travels and stops at multiple ports in Mexico, including Puerto Vallarta.
Outgoing public health officer, Dr. Celeste Philip, is leading the investigation to find other people who may have come into contact with the patient and may have been exposed to the virus.
Philip is leading the investigation into possible exposure within the county and working alongside health investigators in other jurisdictions, Lal said.
Two of the 60 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the United States are being treated in Sonoma County, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Both local cases had traveled on cruise ships, including a person who tested positive for the virus after being quarantined on the virus-stricken Diamond Princess ship to Japan.
There have not been any reported cases of coronavirus in Puerto Vallarta or other known patients who were passengers on the Grand Princess cruise from Feb. 11 to Feb. 21.
