At least four passengers aboard a cruise ship docked in Bayonne, New Jersey were transported to a local hospital after being screened for the coronavirus early Friday morning.
Governor Phil Murphy confirmed that officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) boarded Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas to screen as many as 27 passengers who had recently traveled from mainland China.
"The hospital is following proper infection control protocols while evaluating these individuals. New Jersey currently has no confirmed cases of novel coronavirus and the risk to residents remains low," Murphy wrote in a tweet.
"Like airlines, we are participating in elevated levels of guest screening to check the spread of coronavirus," a Royal Caribbean spokesperson said in a statement via NorthJersey.com. "We are closely monitoring developments regarding coronavirus and have rigorous medical protocols in place onboard our ships."
ABC7NY reporter Derick Waller talked to other passengers on the ship who confirmed they weren't notified but had a "lovely trip."
The Caribbean sailing originally departed Bayonne on January 27.
Anthem of the Seas' upcoming departure will be delayed by a day as a result of Friday's scare.
"We appreciate the CDC's abundance of caution and their partnership. We understand CDC intends to test samples from four guests for coronavirus. None of the four guests showed any clinical signs or symptoms of coronavirus while they were onboard our ship. One had tested positive onboard for Influenza A. Our records indicate the guests had not been in China since January 26-14 days ago. All other guests have been permitted to disembark as usual," the cruise line said in a statement via CNN. "We have also been cleared by authorities to depart on our next cruise as usual. However, to reassure concerned guests, we will delay our departure until tomorrow, when we expect to receive conclusive test results from the CDC."
The ongoing coronavirus outbreak has been impacting the cruise industry for several weeks, with multiple ships being quarantined and ports denying some ships entry amid concerns.
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