Two Cruise Ship Evacuees at San Antonio Base Test Positive for Coronavirus

Federal, state and local health officials have confirmed two cases of COVID-19, otherwise known as the coronavirus, among the cruise ship evacuees currently under federal quarantine at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland.

The new diagnoses bring the total number of confirmed Bexar County cases to three. The first case was discovered last week among a separate group of people quarantined at Lackland.

All three patients are being treated in maximum level isolation and away from the general public, officials said. The initial patient was receiving treatment at Methodist Hospital Texsan, though it's not confirmed if the new cases were also sent to the Balcones Heights facility.

“Our residents should know that the federally ordered quarantine is functioning as it should. Those evacuees, who are in quarantine on Lackland Air Force Base, who test positive for COVID-19 remain in isolation from the general public and other evacuees,” Metro Health Director Dr. Dawn Emerick said in a written statement.

The two latest diagnoses are among the 144 evacuees from the Diamond Princess cruise ship moored off of Japan. A total of 18 people repatriated from the ship have tested positive for the virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

Stay on top of San Antonio news and views. Sign up for our Weekly Headlines Newsletter.