The first Minnesotan to test positive for COVID-19 was among 26 state residents who disembarked from the Grand Princess cruise ship Feb. 21, before it was quarantined for coronavirus infections.

More than 40 Minnesotans remain on the ship, state Department of Health officials said Saturday. The ship is in limbo off the California coast waiting to dock as 21 current passengers have tested positive for the virus.

Kris Ehresmann, director of infectious disease for the Minnesota Department of Health, said the public is not at risk from any of the Grand Princess passengers. The one passenger who became sick with the virus “did everything right” and limited exposing others to the coronavirus.

“In terms of this patient and impact on Minnesota, we only have positive things to say,” Ehresmann said. “From an epidemiological standpoint it is about as good as you can ask for.”

The infected patient was not within six feet of anyone for more than 10 minutes, state officials said. That means there is no concern of community exposure at this time.

One health worker was exposed to the patient, but both were wearing masks.

“The facility did everything right with this patient,” Ehresmann said. “The health system handled it perfectly.”

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EDITOR’S NOTE: If you or someone you know is a passenger of the Grand Princess, please contact reporter Christopher Magan at cmagan@pioneerpress.com.

The patient is an older person who had a mild case of the coronavirus, including fever and respiratory symptoms, Ehresmann said. They are stable and recovering at home under self-quarantine.

The other Minnesotans who disembarked from the Grand Princess on Feb. 21 in San Francisco have all tested negative for the virus. They are now past the 14-day incubation period.

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The Grand Princess cruise trip apparently had two legs. The passengers who got off the boat Feb. 21 were on the first part of the trip, which visited Mexico, and about 40 other Minnesotans continued on the voyage.

“I want to be clear, those individuals are still on that ship,” Ehresmann said.

Federal officials said Saturday they hope to dock the boat at a non-commercial port somewhere in California. Passengers may be able to leave the ship but would likely be under quarantine until health officials are sure they are not infected.

The state Department of Health continued to test local patient samples for the virus Saturday but has reported just one case so far. The department gets about 90 calls per day from physicians with suspected cases from patients in their care.

Testing is currently focused on people with symptoms who were in contact with the virus, either through an infected person or by travel to an area with lots of infections. Patients hospitalized with serious respiratory infections are also considered for testing when other causes are ruled out.

Commercial testing through medical providers is expected to be available as soon as next week. Several health insurers said Friday they would cover the costs of tests deemed medically necessary.

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To stop the spread of the coronavirus, health officials are reminding people to wash their hands thoroughly and often, cover coughs and sneezes and stay home if they are sick.

Should the virus begin to spread in the community, health officials will use “social distancing” to limit residents’ exposure. That could mean asking people to work from home, limiting large social gatherings and possibly closing schools.

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COVID-19, a coronavirus first discovered in Wuhan, China, in December, continues to spread around the globe. There are now more than 105,000 cases worldwide and about 3,500 deaths.

In the U.S. 340 infected people have been identified as of Saturday morning and 16 people have died.