Cruise passengers to be released from coronavirus quarantine in California
140 U.S. evacuees who were aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan are being released from quarantine at Travis Air Force Base; Claudia Cowan reports from the scene.
Two women who were in quarantine over the coronavirus at the University of Nebraska Medical Center were released on Monday and given the all-clear to head home. The women, who had been quarantined since Feb. 17, appeared at a press conference with state and health officials and said their care had been “amazing.”
“For myself, this has been an amazing experience, the way that the staff treated us, my friends are saying, 'Oh my gosh, how can you do it' – it was seamless," Jeri Seratti-Goldman, one of the women being released, said. "This place is special and you guys should be very, very proud."
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The pair had been part of a group of 15 passengers from the Diamond Princess cruise ship who were brought to the University of Nebraska Medical Center and said they were the only two out of the group who tested negative for the virus. Two other patients who had been quarantined were released on Sunday.
The women were passengers on the Diamond Princess cruise ship and had been quarantined at the University Nebraska Medical Center since Feb. 17 (University of Nebraska Medical Center)
Seratti-Goldman, who said she left her home on Jan. 17 for the trip, added that her husband is one of the patients who was moved to a biocontainment unit at the facility because of an underlying health issue, and said that his care has been amazing as well. He is scheduled to undergo testing later Monday.
The other woman released on Monday, Joanne Kirkland, of Tennessee, said the staff treated them with "so much respect."
"It has been wonderful," she said, adding that her husband remains in quarantine and she is unsure of when he will be tested next.
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Seratti-Goldman added that two friends that they were traveling with also tested positive for COVID-19 and that one of the friends did not exhibit typical symptoms, while her husband had spiked a fever "out of the blue" and also developed a cough.
Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts also spoke at the press conference and urged residents to treat the virus like an impending snowstorm and to be prepared.
"Our goal here in Nebraska is to be the best-prepared state to deal with the coronavirus," he said, adding that residents should continue with washing their hands, avoiding touching their faces and making plans in case of an outbreak.
Over 700 passengers who were on the cruise ship contracted the novel coronavirus, which has sickened over 89,000 people across 66 countries. There have been 3,061 deaths linked to the outbreak, including two in the U.S.
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