Ventura County health officials announced a “presumptive” case of coronavirus Friday but the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must still confirm the diagnosis.
The person believed to be infected had traveled last month on the Grand Princess Cruise Ship, which was held off the coast of San Francisco Friday after being linked to other cases. Vice President Mike Pence told reporters 21 people aboard the ship, including 19 crew members, tested positive for the virus. Just 45 of the 3,500 people aboard have been tested so far, according to the cruise line.
A helicopter lowered test kits by rope to the ship earlier Friday as crew members and passengers remained trapped inside.
The preliminary test results in Ventura County came out of the Ventura County Public Health Lab, one of 11 across California able to conduct coronavirus testing. If confirmed by the CDC, it would be the county’s first case.
Just a handful of cases have been reported in Southern California with the exception of Los Angeles County, where health officials said Friday the number of people infected has climbed to 13. Two are workers at Los Angeles International Airport who were tasked with screening passengers from overseas.
The presumably infected Ventura County resident showed “mild” symptoms of coronavirus after traveling to Mexico on the cruise ship and returning to the San Francisco port of entry on Feb. 21, according to health officials. He or she was “not feeling well” upon returning to California and decided to stay home to rest, only leaving to get medical attention, health officials said.
The individual remains quarantined at home, health officials said, and their spouse who was also on the cruise has not shown symptoms. The spouse is also staying home.
Ventura County health officials said the threat to the local population remains low since the possible coronavirus case is travel-related and was not transmitted from person to person.
According to public health officials, the Grand Princess Cruise Ship has carried at least 10 others sickened with coronavirus in a prior trip — including the first, and so far, only confirmed coronavirus-related death in California. That patient, who was elderly and had underlying health conditions, died in Placer County.
Hours after the death was reported Wednesday, the California Department of Public Health notified Ventura County health officials of six residents from the county who traveled on the Grand Princess Cruise Ship.
Local health officials said they received that information Wednesday evening and began reaching out to the former ship passengers the same night.
One of the passengers was already in contact with a primary care doctor, who requested they be tested, according to health officials. The doctor tried to limit any possible exposure by having the person remain inside their vehicle during “curbside” drop-off of the specimen being tested.
Health officials in Ventura County said they are working with state authorities to notify anyone who may have come into contact with the possible coronavirus patient while they were seeking medical attention or traveling to Ventura County from San Francisco.
The bulk of dozens of confirmed coronavirus cases in California have been mostly concentrated in northern parts of the state.
L.A. County has seen more cases than any other in the broader Southern California region — just one case is confirmed in Orange County and none in either San Bernardino or Riverside counties. There is also another two “presumptive” cases in O.C.
Further south, in San Diego and Imperial counties, no other cases have been reported.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
