As a dozen cruise ship passengers have arrived in Monterey County to be quarantined, local health experts say they worry the highly contagious coronavirus may already be here.

No one has tested positive for COVID-19 as of Thursday in Monterey County, but Dr. Ed Moreno, county director of public health, said officials suspect the virus is already circulating around the county. Health officials are testing people daily for the coronavirus, said Moreno.

© David Rodriguez/The Salinas Californian An Asilomar resident is seen walking passed a blocked off street near Asilomar Conference Grounds March 11, 2020.

"If and when we get our first case in Monterey County, that could be indicative of community spread or increased testing capacity of individuals that have COVID-19," Moreno said at a press conference Wednesday afternoon.

He said he's hoping to keep the spread of the virus "manageable" in the county with residents following CDC-recommended precautions to "keep the curve low."

Moreno was referring to "flattening the curve," or taking precautions that help spread out the number of coronavirus cases over a longer period of time to avoid a rapid spike of cases that could easily overwhelm the healthcare system.

The medical response to the spread of the virus will rely on partnerships with UCSF and Stanford hospitals to help with the treatment of COVID-19 patients, Moreno said.

Those patients may be transferred to the Bay Area hospitals to make room at local hospitals, or patients may be brought to Monterey County's facilities to make room for COVID-19 patients up north.

The passengers from the Diamond Princess cruise ship, where 21 people have tested positive for the coronavirus, were screened and then transported to Asilomar, where they were administered the tests, Moreno said.

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced during a Tuesday press conference that individuals of the ship would be housed at "a state park" in Monterey County.

The passengers will be quarantined at Asilomar Hotel & Conference Grounds as it meets all of the guidelines for quarantine put out by the Centers for Disease Control.

Upon arrival at Asilomar, the evacuees were tested for the coronavirus. The results were not yet returned, said Monterey County Supervisor Mary Adams Wednesday afternoon.

Monterey County has been testing through the CDC since mid-January and its public health lab now has the ability to test for the coronavirus, Moreno said.

If someone were to test positive, they would begin isolation practices immediately, he said.

The Pacific Grove street that runs behind Asilomar Hotel & Conference Grounds is closed to through traffic.

State parks officials confirmed government vehicles used the street for parking in preparation for passengers who were aboard the cruise ship and headed for quarantine.

Crocker Avenue, a residential street in Pacific Grove that passes behind by the Asilomar Hotel & Conference Grounds, is closed between Sunset Drive and Sinex Avenue, according to a state parks representative at the scene.

The closure happened without notification of Pacific Grove City Manager Ben Harvey, he said.

A sign posted by the State of California stated that the Mott Training Center and surrounding buildings, including Deer Lodge, Tree Tops and Live Oak are closed to the public, as are parking lots P, N, and paths around those lots. Officials said Wednesday that a fence was being erected around the buildings to keep the curious out.

© David Rodriguez/The Salinas Californian A woman is seen walking through the Asilomar Conference Grounds entrance March 11, 2020.

The California Office of Emergency Services put out a press release Tuesday that indicated up to 24 cruise ship evacuees with mild symptoms would be sent to the Pacific Grove location. As they do not require hospitalization, they can't be quarantined at Travis Air Force Base.

Other Asilomar guests, staff and the general public will not have contact with them, and specially-trained teams will accompany the cruise ship passengers and attend to their needs.

"It is an international issue and we're being called upon to do our little part to help the people subjected to the problems coronavirus is causing," said Adams.

Adams added that there will be security in place and medical care on-site for the patients.

More: What we know now about the coronavirus in Monterey County

More: Update: Hartnell College student tested found negative for the coronavirus

© PROVIDED/CDC This map shows the countries that have reported Coronavirus infections

"We are working with federal and state officials to make sure every step is taken to protect the health of our community," said Moreno.

However, not everyone is feeling quite so sanguine about the relocation of the aforementioned passengers.

One woman who works at Asilomar – who did not want to be identified due to concerns about retaining her job – said she was considering not reporting to work tomorrow for fear of illness.

Earlier Tuesday she said there was a staff meeting about cancellations at the hotel due to people's fears of the coronavirus. The hotel is located in a community where many retired people live, she said, many of whom come to use the hotel's amenities. She worried about their health, as well.

© David Rodriguez/The Salinas Californian A couple jogs together near the Asilomar Conference Grounds March 11, 2020.

The disease has proven especially deadly to the elderly and those with previous health conditions since it originated in China and spread globally.

While she has taken precautions herself at home, washing her hands and making sure not to touch her face, urging her children to do the same, she worried that she might transmit the disease to her grandmother, who lives next door to her, or her parents, both of whom are over 60.

"Anybody would be concerned," she said.

Pacific Grove resident Kim Reinhart said he didn't see a problem with quarantining Grand Princess passengers at Asilomar, but was frustrated with what he saw as a lack of transparency. At 72 years old, Reinhart is in a group the disease has hit hardest.

"I think it could have been handled in a more informative manner rather than having to deal with the situation after the fact," said Reinhart. "It shows how out of control nationally and internationally the response to COVID-19 is."

"The testing, the lack of testing makes it a crapshoot of how to handle this," Reinhart added.

Joe Griskonis, a California native and Pacific Grove resident agreed.

"Asilomar's a great place to see, visit and bring your meetings to, but for something like a quarantine and healthcare...there's a high elderly population here that's susceptible," said Griskonis. "It's a risk that didn't need to be taken at this point."

Contacted by phone Tuesday a representative at Asilomar declined to comment.

© David Rodriguez/The Salinas Californian People are seen walking and running around the Asilomar Conference Grounds March 11, 2020.

"For about two weeks we’ve been receiving reports from many of our hospitality and tourism members about an obvious abrupt slowdown in business," said Frank Geisler, president and CEO. "Local businesses are now concerned that the reputation of the Monterey Peninsula will be tainted by this high-profile quarantine location."

Confusion has followed the announcement.

“Business owners can’t understand why cruise ship passengers aren’t being quarantined at military bases and other government facilities that are focused on national security and emergency services,” Geisler added.

Local control is out of the hands of leaders.

"It's not really under our control at this point," said Monterey County Supervisor Chris Lopez. "It's a state decision. It is what it is, so we're going to take it as it comes at this point."

Governor @GavinNewsom and state health officials hold a media availability to provide an update on the state’s response to COVID-19 and the Grand Princess cruise ship. https://t.co/1pQkaoM0vV — Office of the Governor of California (@CAgovernor) March 10, 2020

This story has been updated to include additional information from the County of Monterey and interviews with the public.

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David Rodriguez contributed reporting.

Kate Cimini is a multimedia journalist for The Californian. Call her at (831) 776-5137 or email kcimini@thecalifornian.com. Subscribe to support local journalism.

This article originally appeared on Salinas Californian: UPDATE: As Grand Princess coronavirus evacuees are quarantined at Asilomar, COVID-19 may be here