As the coronavirus continues its global spread, an Eagle couple found out first-hand how cruise lines deal with a potential infection onboard.
Chris and Janet Lane tell KTVB that they were stuck on a Carnival cruise ship under quarantine in the Caribbean Sea, while a crew member was tested for the virus.
The Lanes say the quarantine began Thursday afternoon and lasted for more than five hours. Shortly after midnight local time, the Lanes posted on Facebook that the tests had come back negative and passengers were given the all-clear.
Given similar quarantines in recent weeks, the couple was prepared for the possibility that they could be stranded on the ship for an extended period of time.
"I'm a nurse, so I came prepared," Janet Lane told KTVB via social media before the quarantine was lifted. "I brought Lysol spray. I bought stuff to wipe things down. We're just being smart. Nobody is really freaking out around the ship either. People are really calm."
The ship, called the Carnival Fascination, was docked Thursday evening in Barbados, where the testing was done.
In a statement provided to Cruise Hive, Carnival Cruise Line said it did not believe the crew member has coronavirus, also known as COVID-19:
"In an abundance of caution, Barbados officials are going to test the crew member for COVID-19. The individual is not a suspected COVID-19 case based on the criteria set by world health experts including CDC and World Health Organization criteria.
"Upon the ship’s arrival at the pier, medical staff from Barbados will board and conduct a test of the crew member. Once the results are returned, we expect to be able to debark the ship so guests can spend the remainder of the day and evening in Barbados."
The coronavirus has infected 82,000 people, the vast majority in China where the outbreak began.
So far only 60 cases have been reported in the United States, but officials from the CDC warned earlier this week that it is only a matter of time before the outbreak spreads stateside.