29 Wis. cruise ship passengers escorted home
Twenty-nine Wisconsinites who were aboard the Grand Princess cruise ship that docked at the Port of Oakland in California last week are back in the state, Gov. Tony Evers announced Monday.
They returned late Sunday to Wisconsin. Soldiers and airmen from the Wisconsin National Guard then transported them back to their homes for 14 days of self-quarantine early Monday morning, Evers said.
Two passengers decided to remain in quarantine in Texas under the custody of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, citing personal reasons, Evers said.
Evers said state officials are still working with the federal government to bring back seven more Wisconsin passengers who remain in HHS custody in California.
The National Guard troops were given hotel rooms at their final destinations, the governor said.
“We’re glad to finally have our folks back home in Wisconsin,” Evers said. “These individuals have gone through a harrowing experience full of uncertainty and fear over the past several weeks. But as I’ve said repeatedly, here in Wisconsin, we take care of one another.”
About 2,500 people were on board the Grand Princess, which had 21 total cases of COVID-19.
About 30 soldiers and airmen from the Wisconsin National Guard mobilized to active duty after the governor declared a public health emergency, and transported the Wisconsin residents home after they landed at the National Guard’s Volk Field Combat Readiness Training Center in Camp Douglas, Wisconsin.
From there, Guard members reportedly transported them home in state vans. Those involved in the mission will then self-monitor for 14 days.