Celebrity Eclipse cruise ship docked at Port of San Diego on March 30, 2020.
Several cruise ship passengers have been able to disembark in San Diego over the past two weeks but after Tuesday, those vessels will no longer be able to drop off its passengers in America’s Finest City through the end of the coronavirus pandemic.
County officials announced Monday during a coronavirus update that cruise ships will only be able to dock in San Diego for fuel or for supplies. The move was made amid concerns of COVID-19.
Cruise Ships in SD
Vessels in the county amid the novel coronavirus
On Tuesday, county health officials confirmed a passenger aboard the Celebrity Eclipse tested positive for the novel coronavirus. It's the last ship that's allowed to drop off passengers in the city and it will continue to do so on Tuesday. Passengers will be screened prior to their departure and only those who have no symptoms or fever will be released.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urge Celebrity Eclipse passengers to self-quarantine for 14 days once they arrive home as a precaution.
A Disney Cruise ship that docked at the Port of San Diego last week said in a statement that two crewmembers and a “handful of guests” tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
Moving forward, passengers and crew members will be required to present approval from a health officer if they wish to get off a vessel.
That requirement will also extend to one ship that is sitting just outside San Diego’s bay -- the Celebrity Millennium. It will be able to dock in the city for supplies, but cannot drop off passengers.
The order will be in effect through the end of the pandemic.
