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Quarantined evacuees from cruise arrive to U.S. amid COVID-19 outbreak

The evacuees will have to remain in quarantine for another 14 days to make sure they do not have the virus.

SAN DIEGO — Two charter flight planes carrying hundreds of Americans have returned to the U.S. Passengers from the Diamond Princess who landed at Travis Air Force Base Monday will be quarantined for two weeks to make sure they don't have the new virus that's been spreading in Asia.

Another flight was headed to Lackland Air Force Base in Texas. The U.S. said later that 14 evacuees received confirmation they had the virus but were allowed to board the flights because they did not have symptoms.

The U.S. said it arranged the evacuation because people on the ship were at a high risk of exposure to the virus.

Japan's Defense Minister Taro Kono had tweeted earlier that Japanese troops helped transport 340 U.S. passengers on 14 buses from Yokohama port to Tokyo's Haneda airport. About 380 Americans were on the cruise ship.

Also Monday, Japanese officials confirmed 99 more people infected by the new virus aboard the Diamond Princess, bringing the total to 454. There have been 15 confirmed cases in seven states in the U.S.

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Meanwhile, more than 160 people on base are looking forward to leaving Miramar on Tuesday. 

“People’s attitudes are improving. People are more chatty. There’s more smiles than frowns like there was the first few days. [They’re] getting excited about getting out of here,” said John McGory who was on the first plane that landed in San Diego from Wuhan.

A second group of people will be leaving MCAS Miramar on Feb. 20 after a 14-day quarantine.

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