GRand Princess Cruise Ship
(Photo : Reuters/Kate Munsch)

The coronavirus-hit Grand Princess Cruise Ship pulled into the Port of Oakland after it idled off the coast of California. 

The cruise ship unloaded more than 3,500 people after it arrived in port Monday. Dozens of passengers were taken away to military bases to be quarantined after the ship suffered a cluster of coronavirus cases aboard.

Twenty-one people involving 19 crew members and two passengers tested positive for coronavirus. The 23 people who needed medical care were taken off the ship.

Health officials did not disclose how many of them carry COVID-19.

Authorities said it will take three days to fully unload all passengers on the ship. Health officials are expected to screen all passengers. 

Canada arranged chartered flights to retrieve the 240 citizens that were aboard the Grand Princess. 

Passengers from the U.S. will be flown or bused to various military bases in California, Texas, and Georgia. They will reportedly undergo testing and a two-week quarantine. 

The ship will leave port after all passengers are unloaded and will dock somewhere else to unload over 1,100 crew members. The crew who tested positive for coronavirus will receive their treatment aboard the ship. 

Caribbean Princess

Another cruise ship from the Princess Cruises delayed its docking. The decision was made after two crew members aboard the Caribbean Princess were found to have transferred from another Princess ship infected by the coronavirus. 

The CDC gave the ship a "no sail order" and ordered all passengers and crew to stay on board. 

Princess Cruises said the crew members showed no signs of COVID-19 but are self-quarantined in their own cabins. 

Another Princess Cruis ship, the Regal Princess, unloaded passengers at Port Everglades after two crew members who came from the Grand Princess tested negative for coronavirus. 

The Regal Princess has the capacity to cater to 3,560 passengers. While the Caribbean Princess can hold 3,600 guests. Princess Cruise did not release the exact number of people aboard both ships. 

CDC's Warning

The United States State Department released a warning on Sunday after several cruise lines offered a large discount for a week of a voyage. 

The State Department advised citizens and tourists to avoid traveling on cruise ships. 

The warning echoed the guidance released by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) where they reported an increasing threat of COVID-19 aboard cruise ships. 

Read More: US State Department and CDC: Avoid Cruise Ships

In light of recent coronavirus cases, various cruise lines released travel advice and changes in their screening procedures to combat the spread of the disease.

Multiple cruise lines are now implementing temperature checks as advised by the World Health Organization(WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Coronavirus Around the World

The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 has continued to rise. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said coronavirus has infected more than 143 people in the state. 

New Jersey also declared a state of emergency after 11 cases of coronavirus were identified and confirmed.

Various schools have closed doors after Connecticut reported two cases of the virus. 

Florida declared a state of emergency on Monday after 13 people tested positive for coronavirus.

Italian Prime Minister Guiseppe Conte also placed the whole nation of Italy in lockdown after more than 9,000 people were confirmed to be infected.

Japan reported 26 new cases, bringing the country's total to 1,210.

Vietnam also confirmed one new case involving a British national. The country now has 31 confirmed cases. 

The Philippines also reported four new coronavirus cases, mere hours after health officials revealed 10 new patients. The country now has a total of 24 confirmed COVID-19 cases.