Santa Barbara County Public Health officials are reaching out to the public to address concerns about coronavirus in relation to cruise ships which visit the region.
Health officials say cruise ships are screening passengers from counties of concern before they board. They say if someone on board a ship develops COVID-19 symptoms, it would be diverted to one of three West Coast quarantine stations. They are San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego.
Santa Barbara typically hosts about 30 cruise ship visits a year. There are three scheduled for this month, with the first Wednesday. The Amadea, a small cruise ship which can host about 600 passengers, is set to arrive at noon Wednesday for a ten hour visit.
Santa Barbara County Health officials emphasize that the Centers for Disease Control, and the Border Patrol are monitoring all ships visiting U.S. ports, and people will not be allowed to disembark if there is a health issue.
County Health officials say while 10 people are under self quarantine at their homes due to possible exposure, there are no diagnosed cases locally.
