Numerous California cruise ship passengers to be quarantined at Texas base

AUSTIN, Texas — Numerous Americans on a cruise ship off the California coast will be transferred to a military base in San Antonio for testing for the coronavirus and the COVID-19 illness it causes, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Sunday.

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“Approximately 90 Texans” are among the unspecified number of U.S. citizens expected to arrive at Lackland Air Force Base, according to a news release from Abbott.

It was not clear when the group would arrive.

“All of the repatriated citizens will remain at Lackland under quarantine until they clear the revised and heightened testing protocol to ensure they are not affected by the COVID-19 virus,” Abbot said.

Once the passengers are cleared of the testing protocol, the Texans will be released to return home and the others will be returned returned to their home states using a plan developed for previous cruise ship passengers taken to Lackland.

The plan was developed after one woman was mistakenly released after testing positive for the virus and the city of San Antonio declared a public health emergency and filed a lawsuit over the woman's release.

There have been no known cases of the illness being transmitted in San Antonio, Mayor Ron Nirenberg said.