Modesto woman, still confined to cruise ship by coronavirus scare, shares couple’s story
It seemed like the perfect vacation cruise for Gina Pallotta and her husband Mike Neky of Modesto: Five days with all the amenities on the Grand Princess cruise ship and four days in the Hawaiian islands for sightseeing, luaus and soaking in the scenery.
Passengers who boarded the ship on Feb. 21 were each given a one-page handout on the coronavirus — the world’s foremost health threat — and that would blot the final days of the voyage scheduled to end Saturday in San Francisco.
On Thursday, Gina and Mike were following health advice to stay inside their mini-suite as the cruise ship circled outside San Francisco. The ship won’t be allowed to dock until scores of passengers and crew members are tested for COVID-19, including 35 who have exhibited flu-like symptoms
“Today, we were told they won’t be serving meals in the dining room,” Pallotta said. “All meals will be served in rooms. ...The bars are closed, the casino, everything is closed. We were just at the store buying snacks and things because we don’t know how long we’ll be on the ship.”
The word came down to the 2,400 passengers and 1,100 crew members Wednesday that a 71-year-old Placer County man, who died from coronavirus, was on the ship during a previous San Francisco-to-Mexico trip in mid-February. It’s when the unidentified man was likely exposed to the virus.
When the Grand Princess began another voyage to Hawaii, passing under the Golden Gate bridge Feb. 21, it carried 62 people who were on the Mexico cruise.
Pallotta said guests were told about 100 people were being tested, including the 62 from the Mexico trip and some current passengers on the Hawaii cruise, plus a number of crew members.
The Modesto couple watched as employees sanitized and wiped down surfaces on the ship Wednesday. A pair of Air National Guard helicopters made airdrops to deliver test kits to the ship Thursday morning. After the test procedures are completed, the sealed samples will be flown to Bay Area labs for testing.
The results should give health officials an idea of how many are infected on the cruise ship and when the ship may be able to dock.
Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency, which ordered the ship not to dock and will also step up public health efforts to keep the virus from spreading in communities.
Last month, coronavirus infections prompted a two-week quarantine on a Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan. More than 700 cases of COVID-19 infection were linked to that cruise ship, including three dozen American passengers who tested positive after returning to the United States.
Pallotta said she has no idea how long passengers will be kept aboard the Grand Princess. The vacation cruise, which canceled a stop in Ensenada in Baja California, was supposed to end Saturday. But she’s afraid guests will be staying onboard longer than that. With coronavirus exposure, it often takes a few days for symptoms to appear.
Pallotta and her husband have no symptoms. And no coronavirus cases have been confirmed on the ship.
The Modesto residents are veterans of many cruises, but this one was the longest. Their travels in Hawaii included hiking in Waimea Canyon on Kauai and visits to the Pearl Harbor National Memorial and a Harley-Davidson shop in Lahaina.
Pallotta said the current directive for guests to stay in their rooms is a recommendation. But those venturing out don’t find any dining rooms or services open. The couple walked to the medical station to inquire about prescription supplies if Mike’s diabetes medication runs out and found the station was closed, she said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises that guests maintain a 6-feet distance from each other. She and her husband intend to cooperate with the public health measures to control the spread of coronavirus.
Pallotta was chair of the Stanislaus State University psychology department and later was a senior psychologist for a youth correction center in Stockton. She retired three years ago but is a psychologist part-time for Kaiser Permanente in Sacramento.
Aside from a possible prolonged stay on the Grand Princess, she’s concerned she could face a quarantine before being able to counsel patients again for Kaiser. Many people on the cruise are seniors, but some are adults with responsibilities to return to work, Pallotta said.
“There are some people who don’t seem to understand the gravity of what is going on, and others who fully understand,” Pallotta said. “We want to make sure we don’t infect anyone else, although we have no symptoms whatsoever.”
This story was originally published March 5, 2020 at 6:23 PM with the headline "Modesto woman, still confined to cruise ship by coronavirus scare, shares couple’s story."
