A Diamond Princess evacuee under quarantine at a California military base has been confirmed to be the lastest case of the coronavirus, officials said.
The patient, who was identified as Marianne Obenchain, tested positive Monday for coronavirus and was placed in isolation at Queen of the Valley Medical Center in Napa, news station WTHR reported.
Napa County officials said the infected evacuee tested positive for the virus in Japan before flying on a US charter flight.
The State Department said that there were 14 evacuees who received confirmation of the virus in Japan but were allowed to board since they showed no symptoms.
Then the patient — along with another evacuee who tested negative for the virus but then showed symptoms — was removed from a base in Fairfield, according to hospital and local officials.
Obenchain, who is from Cass County, Indiana, said she hasn’t experienced any symptoms and is feeling fine, WTHR reported.
“Out of caution, the patients are being monitored in special isolation rooms that have negative pressure to minimize the risk of exposure,” Dr. Amy Herold, chief medical officer at Queen of the Valley, said in a statement.
“We are following established infection control protocols and working closely with our partners at CDC and Napa County Public Health to ensure the safety and well-being of our caregivers, patients and visitors.”
The Diamond Princess cruise ended a two-week-long quarantine Wednesday for around 500 passengers who have been cleared of the virus.
The ship had been under mandatory quarantine since Feb. 5 after a passenger disembarked in Hong Kong and tested positive.
Japanese health officials said there have been 621 cases of coronavirus from the ship out of the original 3,711 people on board.
With Post wires