Test Kits Flown Out To Quarantined Cruise Passengers As Some Wonder If Ship Will Be Doomed To Petri-Dish Status

The Washington Post: Cruise Ship Held Off California As Coronavirus Spreads
The Grand Princess, which was returning to San Francisco after a two-week cruise to Hawaii, remained offshore and in limbo at the request of California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D). About 100 people were expected to be tested, among them 11 passengers and 10 crew members who have shown potential signs of covid-19, the respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus. Results were expected Friday. The fraught situation was the latest in an outbreak marked by confusion and uncertainty. As the U.S. death toll rose to 12 on Thursday and the virus spread to new states — including three cases in Montgomery County, Md. — the stock market again plunged. (Albergotti, Sampson and Dennis, 3/5)

The New York Times: With Thousands Trapped On Board, Cruise Ship Awaits Coronavirus Test Results
A normal day on board the Grand Princess cruise ship might go like this: Sleep late under a “European-inspired duvet.” Take a dip in one of the pools on deck. Afternoon tea promises white tablecloths and finger sandwiches. Dinner could be lobster tails and steak on a private balcony. And all evening, there are plenty of things to do, from theater to gambling to dancing. “Expect the extraordinary,” the company says in its advertising. (Arango, Mervosh and Gross, 3/5)

Reuters: Cruise Ship Passengers ‘In Limbo’ Off San Francisco Awaiting Coronavirus Tests
First, the food buffet was shut down as gloved staff scurried about wiping every surface in sight. Then the ocean liner’s gym, bar, casino and boutiques were closed, with passengers urged to keep to themselves. Finally, they were confined to their staterooms. Once the captain announced their vessel may be tainted with coronavirus, Grand Princess cruise ship guests like Kathleen Reid were left with little to do but contemplate the prospect of extended isolation at sea, or worse. (3/6)

Los Angeles Times: Neighbors Of First Californian To Die From Coronavirus Anxiously Await Word. ‘That’s Close To Home’
Police began blocking access to the home of California’s first fatality attributed to the coronavirus in Rocklin on Thursday as worried neighbors stood in their yards asking for information. The 75-year-old man who died Wednesday had tested positive for COVID-19 after returning from a cruise to Mexico last month. He died a day after tests confirmed he had the coronavirus. “That’s close to home,” said one neighbor, who asked not to be identified as he stood on his lawn. “I’m in my 70s, so this is a big deal.” (Gutierrez, 3/5)