COBB COUNTY, Ga. — A year after a coronavirus outbreak on a Grand Princess cruise ship, Georgians who were onboard are now getting their COVID-19 vaccines.
Their journey took them from Hawaii to California to a mandatory quarantine where hundreds of passengers ended up at Dobbins Air Reserve Base.
Two of the Georgians who were aboard the Grand Princess, Howard Long and Charlotte Hips, told Channel 2 Cobb County Bureau Chief Chris Jose that they just got vaccinated at Jim Miller Park, about 10 minutes away from where they were held in quarantine one year ago.
Long said one year ago, he had a craving for Waffle House. Now, it’s a weekly tradition.
“I’ve gone Friday mornings, and Monday mornings, virtually every week since that happened. And as much as anything, just to keep the Waffle House in business,” Long said.
He told Jose that his time aboard the cruise ship will come up from time to time during those meals at Waffle House.
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Last year at this time, Long and Hipps were wrapping up a two-week cruise not knowing they would soon circle the coast of California.
“What you may have known was way different than what we knew on the ship,” Long said.
When it docked, 2,400 passengers were forced to stay on the ship for two days after 21 people tested positive for coronavirus.
Channel 2 Action News kept in touch with Long from his time on the ship, the shuttle to the airport and a mandatory quarantine at Dobbins.
Jose asked Long what he remembers the most.
“So many unknowns and so many levels of incompetence that was involved at each stage along the way, and we’ve seen that as the year folded out,” Long said.
Long said he got his second COVID-19 vaccine shot at Jim Miller Park last week.
Now that he’s vaccinated, Long said he’s looking forward to his next cruise. He has one scheduled this summer knowing it might not happen at all.
“The biggest thing is count your blessings every day,” Long said.
Long celebrated his 80th birthday in December. He believes the vaccine is the only way we’ll get back to normal.
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