Plane carrying Canadians from Grand Princess cruise ship arrives in Canada

OTTAWA — A plane carrying Canadians who were on a cruise ship with a cluster of novel coronavirus cases arrived back in Canada this morning.

The government-chartered aircraft landed at Canadian Forces Base Trenton, in Ontario, where the passengers will spend two weeks in quarantine.

The exact number of Canadians on the flight was unknown because they had to pass a screening process before being allowed to board the flight.

There were 237 Canadians among the 3,500 passengers and crew onboard the Grand Princess cruise ship.

The ship docked Monday at the Port of Oakland after days of being forced to idle off the coast of Northern California.

It had been prevented from docking because of evidence that it was the breeding ground for more than 20 COVID-19 infections.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 10, 2020.

The Canadian Press