Cruise passengers arrive in NJ to be tested for coronavirus
A Royal Caribbean ship returns from the Bahamas after some passengers develop pulmonary issues and are quarantined; Todd Piro reports from port in Bayonne, N.J.
A Royal Caribbean cruise ship carrying Chinese nationals who will be tested for coronavirus after experiencing possible "pulmonary issues" made port in Bayonne, N.J., Friday morning, Fox News' Todd Piro reported.
In a live report on "Fox & Friends," Piro noted there were no passengers wearing masks as they filed off into the disembarking area, but some emergency medical technicians and port workers had them on.
Piro later told Fox News that passengers deboarding the Bahamas cruise told him they were not informed about the potential risk.
Bayonne Mayor Jimmy Davis confirmed that around 24 passengers had been tested, with four being sent to hospitals for further screening.
“I have been briefed on the RC cruise ship arriving this morning,” Mayor Davis said on Twitter. “I am certain that the NJ [DoH, CDC, and PA NY/NJ are prepared and equipped to address any concerns this morning.”
Results of coronavirus testing are typically known between 36 to 48 hours after they are done.
As passengers return home, Piro said he saw around 18-24 port workers go onto the ship. The "Anthem of the Sea" -- as well as the port -- will reportedly be cleaned in preparation for its next departure.
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In a statement, Royal Caribbean said they were participating in elevated levels of guest screening to combat the spread of the virus and that they have "rigorous medical protocols in place."
However, a number of worried prospective passengers are reportedly asking Royal Caribbean if they could cancel or get their tickets refunded.
One male passenger told Piro that he had learned of the quarantine by watching Fox News after "no information" was previously given.
"They didn't...tell us about the people being quarantined," he said. "They just said that there would be a little bit of a delay [in] getting off."
On Friday morning, President Trump tweeted that he had "a long conversation" earlier in the day with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping regarding the state of coronavirus in the Asian country.
"[Xi Jinping is] focused on leading the counterattack on the Coronavirus. He feels they are doing very well, even building hospitals in a matter of only days," Trump wrote on Twitter Friday morning. "He will be successful, especially as the weather starts to warm & the virus hopefully becomes weaker and then gone."
The telephone call came as scientists in China say the pangolin, a type of scaly anteater, could be the host for the coronavirus that has killed over 636 people and infected nearly 31,400 globally, according to a report by Reuters on Friday.
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Reuters reported the genome sequence of the coronavirus strain taken from pangolins in the study was 99 percent identical to infected people, according to China’s official Xinhua news agency. Pinpointing the host could be a major step toward getting a handle on the spread.
New York City had no confirmed cases of the virus as of Thursday.
Fox News' Michael Bartiromo contributed to this report.