One of the four passengers screened for coronavirus upon arriving in Bayonne on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship Friday morning has tested positive for the flu, according to the cruise line.

More than two dozen passengers on Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas cruise ship were required to undergo screenings Friday for the virus. Of the 27 passengers evaluated — all of whom recently traveled to mainland China — 23 were promptly cleared, and four were sent to University Hospital in Newark for further evaluation, officials said.

On Twitter, the cruise line said none of the four being tested by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention “showed any clinical signs and symptoms of coronavirus” and had not been in China since Jan. 26.

“All other guests were permitted to disembark,” the cruise line added.

The coronavirus outbreak has killed more than 600 people and infected more than 31,000 worldwide — the majority in China — according to the CDC. Cases have been confirmed in 28 countries, including 11 in the U.S. The results of 76 more tests are pending.

In a statement, Gov. Murphy said there are currently no confirmed coronavirus cases in New Jersey and “the risk to residents remains low."

(1/3) You may have seen news about Anthem today and may be wondering about our guests and upcoming cruise. None of the four guests being tested by CDC showed any clinical signs and symptoms of coronavirus. One tested positive onboard for Influenza A. — Royal Caribbean (@RoyalCaribbean) February 7, 2020

The sick cruise ship passenger had contracted the influenza A flu strain. Experts have said the flu poses a much greater threat in New Jersey than the coronavirus.

While the cruise ship had been scheduled to depart from Bayonne on Friday afternoon, Royal Caribbean ultimately decided to delay it until Saturday, saying the decision was made merely “to reassure our guests.”

Royal Caribbean has taken additional measures in response to the coronavirus outbreak, including prohibiting all guests holding a Chinese, Hong Kong or Macau passport from boarding its ships “regardless of when they were there last,” according to a statement.

The cruise line said it is sanitizing the cruise ship terminal before and after trips and conducting "special sanitizing of high traffic areas onboard multiple times a day.” It is also adding more medical personnel on board.

The situation on the cruise ship comes after U.S. Sens. Bob Menendez and Cory Booker called on the federal government to include Newark airport on the list of U.S. ports of entry screening for coronavirus.

It’s unclear whether additional measures would be proposed to screen at other points of entry, like ports.

In a statement issued through a spokeswoman Friday, Booker said, “it is for this exact reason that Senator Menendez and I first called for Newark Airport to be a screening site for the virus.”

“As this evolves, I’ll be continuing to push for the resources that our state needs to protect New Jerseyans, while ensuring the Trump Administration — which has consistently attempted to underfund CDC and (National Institute of Health) — is stepping up to do its part,” the statement added.

Similar funding concerns were voiced by Menendez on Friday afternoon. In a statement issued by his office, Menendez called on the Trump administration to “fully fund pandemic preparedness and response efforts in light of the global Coronavirus outbreak.”

Menendez, joined by three fellow Democratic senators, said that the Trump administration is proposing to cut funding for pandemic preparedness and response efforts, which he says “could threaten the government’s ability to effectively combat the spread of the deadly virus.”

The Trump administration presented a 2020 budget proposal that cut “critical pandemic response programs by nearly 20 percent,” according to Menendez’s office.

“In light of the current novel Coronavirus outbreak and the persistent threat of global pandemics, we urge you to fully fund infectious disease and pandemic preparedness and response efforts in your fiscal year 2021 proposed budget,” the statement said.

“A failure to do so would not only be a danger to the health and welfare of all Americans, but also a threat to our national security.”

Gov. Phil Murphy launched a task force Monday to ensure New Jersey is ready and equipped for the coronavirus. The state recently created a website and a hotline — 1-800-222-1222 — to answer any questions residents may have about the virus.

Spencer Kent may be reached at skent@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SpencerMKent. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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