LOS ANGELES, March 7 — Twenty-one people on board a cruise ship stranded off the coast of San Francisco have tested positive for the new coronavirus, Vice President Mike Pence said yesterday.

"Among those positive for coronavirus were 19 crew members and two passengers,” said Pence, who has been tasked by President Donald Trump to coordinate the US government’s response to the outbreak.

Pence said the ship will be brought to a non-commercial dock this weekend and all 3,533 passengers and crew will be tested.

The Grand Princess has been stranded off the coast of San Francisco since Wednesday — when it was supposed to dock — after it emerged that two people who had been on the ship during its previous voyage had contracted the virus. One of them later died. — AFP