COBB COUNTY, Ga. — Twenty-three Georgians and nine Oklahomans who were quarantined at Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Marietta amid the coronavirus pandemic returned home this weekend, federal and state officials confirmed to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Sunday.
Eight other Georgians remain at Dobbins, though they were expected to return home Sunday. They are among nearly 500 passengers from the Grand Princess who were brought to the military installation after their cruise ship was struck by the disease.
Twenty-one people aboard ship tested positive for the COVID-19 infection, Vice President Mike Pence confirmed this month. Of those, 19 were crew members and two were passengers.
On Saturday, Gov. Brian Kemp announced that Georgia had been given federal permission to begin returning state residents to their homes from Dobbins. He also authorized calling up as many 2,000 Georgia National Guardsmen to active duty for helping get them home and to “ensure the steady supply of medical equipment, food, shelter, or related materials to keep Georgians safe.”
Some of the passengers quarantined at the military base have complained of unsanitary conditions, missing luggage and limited access to food, medicine and other necessities.
This story was written by Jeremy Redmon for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.