MARIETTA, Ga. — A second wave of passengers from the Grand Princess cruise ship flew into Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Marietta early Thursday morning, according to officials at the base.
The passengers that arrived on Thursday are beginning a 14-day quarantine, as they may have been exposed to the novel coronavirus while they were aboard the cruise ship.
More than 3,000 people were kept on-board the ship, which was not permitted to dock in California after 21 people tested positive for coronavirus.
An earlier group of more than 250 passengers from the cruise ship, which included 34 Georgians, arrived at Dobbins early Wednesday morning.
"Prior to arriving here, the passengers were medically screened by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention," said a release from the Air Force Reserve.
The CDC is responsible for the quarantine operation, Dobbins officials said.
According to the Air Force Reserve, should anyone be identified as ill during their quarantine period, the Department of Health & Human Services, the lead federal agency, has procedures in place to transport them to a local civilian hospital.
Dobbins ARB personnel will not have any contact with the passengers. By providing support, Dobbins is helping to protect the health and safety of Americans by preventing the spread of the virus.
"As our base provides support to DHHS, our primary responsibility is to the safety of our force, our families and our base communities," said Col. Craig McPike, Dobbins installation commander.
Dobbins Air Reserve Base is located about 15 miles northwest of downtown Atlanta.
In Georgia, the risk of contracting COVID-19 remains low, according to officials. At 11Alive, we’re focusing our news coverage on the facts and not the fear around the virus. To see our full coverage, visit our coronavirus section, here: www.11Alive.com/Coronavirus.
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