Cruise ship to return to San Francisco over virus concerns

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti speaks at a news conference that announced that six new cases of the coronavirus have been confirmed in Los Angeles County, where there was one previously, on the steps of the county Hall of Administration in downtown Los Angeles Wednesday, March 4, 2020 The cases confirmed Tuesday night were due to a known exposure and not the result of so-called community transmission, Dr. Barbara Ferrer, director of the county Department of Public Health, said. One person was hospitalized and five others were in self-quarantine at home, she said. The cases were from throughout the county, she said, but did not give specific locations. (AP Photo/Stafanie Dazio)

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating a “small cluster” of patients with the new coronavirus in Northern California who were passengers of a Grand Princess cruise ship that traveled from San Francisco to Mexico in February, including a patient who died at a hospital Wednesday.

The Grand Princess’ chief medical officer says the ship is at sea off the coast of Mexico and will skip a scheduled stop in Ensenada and return directly to San Francisco, where CDC and cruise officials will meet to determine the next course of action. He said guests who sailed on the Feb. 11-21 voyage and are currently on the ship need to remain in their rooms until they are cleared by medical staff.

The ship is expected to dock in San Francisco Thursday.

Health officials say a Placer County resident who was on the February trip died Wednesday in the first death from the COVID-19 virus in California.

Officials say a resident of Sonoma County who also went on the February voyage and tested positive for COVID-19 is in stable condition at a hospital.