Wednesday, March 11, 2020 | 9 p.m.
Gov. Steve Sisolak’s office is coordinating with federal officials on the return home of a Henderson resident who was on a cruise ship afflicted with the coronavirus, according to city officials.
The resident is one of 49 Nevadans aboard the Grand Princess cruise ship that had been floating off the coast of California after 21 passengers tested positive for COVID-19 last week. As of Tuesday, each of the Nevada residents was asymptomatic.
Officials have been working on repatriating thousands of passengers since the ship docked at the Oakland port on Monday. They will be required to submit to a two-week quarantine.
Sisolak and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services came to the agreement that the Nevada residents could quarantine at home, but they first must meet certain guidelines:
• They must agree to testing for COVID-19 and be asymptomatic.
• The passengers have to return to their home state and be in isolation, limiting exposure to the general public.
Once testing samples are collected, the Nevadans will travel on a secure, federal government-provided aircraft. They won’t pass through commercial airports or buildings.
After they land, local officials will arrange “secure” transportation from the airport to their homes, where they will have to sign a “declaration of self-quarantine.”
Local authorities will monitor their condition. “We are continuing to work closely with authorities to protect our community and remind you to continue to wash your hands often, disinfect surfaces, and stay home if you're ill,” Henderson officials said in a statement.
