Minnesotans Stuck On Ship Where 12 COVID-19 Cases Confirmed

MINNESOTA — There are 42 Minnesotans still on the Grand Princess Cruise off the coast of California because the ship has been quarantined due to COVID-19 concerns. The Minnesota Department of Health said 26 Minnesotans who departed the cruise early have returned to the state.

"We were expecting a dream cruise to Hawaii," Stan Herman, one of the Minnesotans on the ship, told FOX 9. "They cut out all the activities onboard, they closed all the stores and the casino," he added.

Overall, a total of 21 passengers on the ship have tested positive for COVID-19, reports KARE 11. There are 3,500 people still aboard the ship.

Federal officials are advising U.S. citizens to not travel by cruise ship because of the increased risk of COVID-19 on cruises. A passenger on the Grand Princess later became Minnesota's first confirmed case of the disease.

Two people in Minnesota have so far tested positive for COVID-19.

The Grand Princess is slated to dock in Oakland Monday so that the passengers can be tested and quarantined.

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Minnesota Commissioner of Health Jan Malcolm emphasized the important role every Minnesotan can play in helping to limit the spread of COVID-19.

"While our public health workers are busy tracking down potentially exposed people and evaluating potential cases, the rest of us must do our part," Malcolm said in a news release.

"First and foremost that means staying home when you are sick. It also means covering coughs and sneezes, washing hands frequently, and avoiding touching your face throughout the day."

Since the outbreak started in China in December 2019, more than 107,700 cases and 3,600 deaths have been reported in countries around the worlds.

MDH Infectious Disease Director Kris Ehresmann said her team is working with the CDC and Carver County Public Health on the case and contact investigation.

The virus that causes COVID-19 is spread primarily by respiratory droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes, similar to how influenza is spread. It can also spread when people touch surfaces that have been contaminated by an infected person and then touch their eyes, nose or mouth.