California Gov. Gavin Newsom offered rare praise of President Trump’s administration for the way it has responded to an outbreak of the COVID-19 virus on a cruise ship carrying hundreds.
The ship, dubbed the Grand Princess and carrying 3,500 people from 54 countries, docked in Oakland, California, this week after circling waters off the coast of the state for two days while health officials debated if it was safe to let the ship dock on American soil. Health officials screened 46 people aboard and found 21 who tested positive for the virus.
Over the weekend, Trump said he would prefer if the passengers did not exit the ship but would defer to the opinion of top U.S. health officials.
“I don’t need to have the numbers double because of one ship,” Trump said Saturday. “I can live either way with it.”
However, the passengers, who will now be placed under a 14-day federal quarantine, were allowed to disembark the vessel on Monday, and Newsom thanked the president for letting them and for providing the logistical support to deal with them safely.
“His administration … has been consistent with the expectation that we repatriate these passengers,” the Democratic governor said during a press conference, “and we do it in a way that does justice to the spirit that defines the best of our country and the state of California.”
“He said, ‘We’re going to do the right thing, and you have my support,'” he continued. “He said everything that I could have hoped for. … And every single thing he said, they followed through on.”
Newsom’s remarks were in contrast to his usual criticism of Trump. He recently called California the most “un-Trump” state in the country and said the president was “scared” of its voters.
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California Gov. Newsom had kind words for Pres. Trump and Vice Pres. Pence when asked about the administration’s handling of coronavirus and cruise ships:
“We had a very long conversation, and every single he said they followed through on.” https://t.co/iBPb6YBiQ0 pic.twitter.com/7bYjBdspno
— ABC News (@ABC) March 9, 2020
Nationwide, more than 700 cases of the virus have been confirmed, including 27 deaths. Two of the deaths happened in California, where Newsom declared a statewide state of emergency last week.
Across the country, leading health experts are urging older people or those with underlying health issues to refrain from nonessential travel to certain countries where the virus has spread.
“We will continue to see more cases of COVID-19,” said LA County Public Health Department Director Barbara Ferrer, according to the Los Angeles Times. “We continue to urge everyone to do their part: Stay home if you are sick and keep your children home if they are sick; plan for the possibility of school and business closures.”
