Minnesota couple on Grand Princess now quarantined on military base in Georgia

Last week the Grand Princess cruise ship was circling in the Pacific Ocean with more than 40 Minnesotans on it. The ship has docked in Oakland, California, but not all of the Minnesotans on board are home yet.

Melanie Carlson of Monticello was one of the people on that ship. She and her husband, Keith, left on the 15-day cruise on Feb. 21.

Carlson told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS she and her husband were having a great time until the coronavirus showed up, leading to a helicopter dropping off tests to the ship. Then they started to hear reports on the news that people on the ship were testing positive for COVID-19.

"We heard it from Vice President Pence, and we were upset we didn't hear it from the captain," Carlson said.

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When they disembarked, they were put on a bus, then a government plane and ended up quarantined at Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Marietta, Georgia.

Those under quarantine have their temperatures taken twice a day. So far the Carlsons have shown no symptoms.

"They have the front quarantined off, they have people in hazmat suits on the plane," Carlson said. "It's pretty scary stuff. I feel like a criminal — I really feel like a criminal."

Carlson said she and her husband are expected to wrap up their quarantine on March 25. They're both IT workers, and she said they could work from home if they could get back to Minnesota. They've contacted Minnesota lawmakers in an attempt to get back.