KEY POINTS

  • A couple aboard a cruise ship that sailed for Antarctica revealed they got infected by the coronavirus
  • They said it was possible they got it from the cruise but said they suspected it was from an airport on the way home
  • The couple is currently in self-isolation following their test results

A couple from California was astonished to discover that they were infected by coronavirus after spending a month on a cruise to Antarctica.

According to Fox News, Bill Portanova thought being on a cruise to the southernmost continent was the safest place from the virus. Upon returning to California, Shauna, his wife, tested positive for the virus. Portanova was advised to presume that he had the virus as well to save from test kits.

The couple went on the Antarctic cruise onboard Hurtigruten Cruise’s MS Roald Amundsen along with a “few hundred” passengers in February. The cruise spent a lot of time at sea after the Chilean government refused requests for the ship to dock. This was despite the absence of any COVID-19 passengers aboard the ship.

The couple also revealed that they stopped by a town in the Falkland Islands on the very same day passengers from the Holland America ship Zaandam were there. The cruise ship docked in Florida last week.

California has been in quarantine since March 19. California Governor Gavin Newsom ordered people to stay indoors, CNN reported. Nineteen people have died and there are more than 900 positive cases of COVID-19 in the state.

At the time, the governor’s order was the first statewide restriction issued in the United States. It has been the same everywhere; people are not allowed to leave home, except for essential chores. The governor, at the time, said that the restrictions will remain in place “until further notice.”

The couple, meanwhile, thought it was possible that they received the infection from the Holland America ship. Portanova pointed out that the Roald Amundsen quarantined its passengers for 14 days after the contact with the Zaandam, and no one on board showed any signs at that time.

Portanova also said that he was certain the infection happened on their way home. After they managed to get off their ship, they took a flight out of Chile and into one of the worst places in the world in the event of an outbreak — John F. Kennedy airport in New York.

The couple has decided to self-quarantine at home and reported that they displayed mild-symptoms of the virus.

The Ruby Princess cruise ship sits docked at Port Kembla south of Sydney where it is expected to remain for several days after hundreds of crew showed symptoms of coronavirus. The local government hopes the days of quarantine and restocking at the port wi
The Ruby Princess cruise ship sits docked at Port Kembla south of Sydney where it is expected to remain for several days after hundreds of crew showed symptoms of coronavirus. The local government hopes the days of quarantine and restocking at the port will enable the ship to leave Australian waters along with its crew after days waiting off the eastern coast of the country. AFPTV / Peter PARKS
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