DOH confirms over 500 Filipinos aboard cruise ship held off California coast

The Department of Health (DOH) on Thursday confirmed that over 500 Filipinos are onboard the MV Grand Princess, a cruise ship being monitored after two passengers tested positive for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

According to JP Soriano's report on State of the Nation with Jessica Soho, Reuters data showed that 11 passengers and ten crew members have symptoms of the COVID-19.

However, authorities have yet to confirm if Filipinos are among those with symptoms.

The Magsaysay Maritime Corporation, the agency of the Filipinos on board the ship, also confirmed that there are 523 Filipinos.

Grand Princess was held off the coast of California over fears of a new outbreak. It is currently being monitored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Last month, dozens of people on board the coronavirus-hit Diamond Princess cruise ship became infected while it was held in quarantine off the port of Yokohama.

"[A]lthough they were able to quarantine the passengers in their individual rooms, the crew members were allowed to interact, to do things, so that sort of also put them at risk," Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said.

This time, the DOH expressed its desire to quarantine the Filipinos in a separate facility and not on the cruise ship with the other passengers.

"If they can be brought to the facility, that would be ideal. Kasi nga, sa ship, if you're going to quarantine the crew, who will feed the passengers?" Duque said.

The Department of Foreign Affairs echoed the confirmation of the presence of Filipinos.

"We confirm that there are Filipino crew members onboard the MV Grand Princess, and in similar number as the Diamond Princess of around 530 - 540 Filipino crew out of 1,111 total crew," Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Ed Meñez said Friday.

Apart from the crew, Meñez said the DFA has no information if there are other Filipino passengers or guests aboard the luxury liner.

"As of the moment, there are passengers and crew of unidentified nationalities who are exhibiting symptoms and are being tested accordingly," Meñez said.

Meanwhile, officers of Grand Princess said it has given essential travel data to the CDC to help in locating individuals who may have been exposed to the ill passengers.

The Philippine Embassy in the United States  warned that more COVID-19 cases will likely be identified in the following days.

"According to the CDC, more cases of COVID-19 are likely to be identified in the incoming days, including more cases in the United States," the embassy said in a statement.

"Continued person-to-person spread is also a likely occurrence," it added.

As of Thursday, the US confirmed a total of 152  confirmed and presumptive positive COVID-19 cases across sixteen states.

California has reported the most with 51 cases while Washington came second with 44 cases, and Texas with 11. —Joahna Lei Casilao with Michaela del Callar/LDF/RSJ, GMA News