VICTORIA -- Ten days into a government mandated quarantine and Victoria resident Melanie Sibbitt says she remains healthy. But, not all Canadian passengers of the Grand Princess cruise liner have been so lucky.
According to Sibbitt, who has been in contact with CTV News Vancouver Island since her 14 day quarantine at CFB Trenton began, 12 isolated passengers have tested positive for COVID-19.
"Their quarantine starts from the time they tested positive,” Sibbitt told CTV News during a facetime interview.
"Those people will be staying here at the base, along with their companions."
Sibbit, who lives in Victoria’s Fisherman’s Wharf area, says she has been in some form of quarantine since coronavirus cases first began to spread on the massive cruise ship in late February.
Since Sibbitt was flown on a chartered aircraft from San Francisco, where the cruise ship was docked, the Victoria woman says health officials have been professional and informative.
On Sunday, she was told by doctors that her latest COVID-19 test had come back negative. But, knowing she was returning home to Victoria soon, Sibbitt decided to ramp up her own self-isolation.
"I personally made the choice as of Sunday, of this past weekend, to stay in my room 100 per cent,” she said.
“I'm not going out for fresh air because I want to err on the side of caution."
All of the 237 passengers transferred to CFB Trenton were asked to sign documents mandating them to stay in isolation.
The penalties for leaving range from six months in jail to a $750,000 fine.
Sibbitt is hopeful she will stay COVID-19 free until her departure from the quarantine centre on Tuesday, March 24.
She says that once she is home in Victoria, she will follow the advice of provincial health officials and stay home as much as possible.
