The county announced two new public health orders Monday focused on cruise ships, one giving the county public health officer discretion on disembarkations if a passenger or crew member on the ship has tested positive for coronavirus and the other banning all cruise ships from disembarking in San Diego after Tuesday.
Cruise ships will still be able to dock in San Diego Harbor, but only for supplies. No one, passenger or crew, aboard the ship will be able to disembark until the public health emergency has ended, outside of limited, emergency situations.
Since San Diego County declared a public health emergency, five cruise ships have docked and disembarked some or all of their passengers in the city. The most recent, the Celebrity Eclipse, docked Monday in the harbor and 2,300 passengers will disembark Monday and Tuesday. No case of COVID-19 has been detected on the ship.
Dr. Eric McDonald, the county’s medical director of epidemiology, said the health of the ship’s occupants was excellent. County health officials are in continuous contact with the ship’s crew for any sign of symptoms, he said.
McDonald said 17 cruise passengers are from San Diego County and they will go straight home after disembarking from the ship and will self-quarantine for 14 days. Other passengers are from outside the county and they will travel home and self-quarantine.
The remaining crew and 200 passengers will leave San Diego at 5 p.m. Tuesday, heading to Acapulco, Mexico, where they will leave ship on April 4.
Currently, three cruise ships without passengers are anchored or berthed around San Diego Bay. The Regent Seven Seas Splendor is outside the bay and will dock April 1 at Broadway Pier until April 11. The Disney Wonder will remain docked at the B Street cruise terminal until April 19 and the is anchored outside the bay but will dock April 2 for supplies.
— City News Service