Daughter of Brit trapped on coronavirus cruise ship: 'people were fighting over food'

The daughter of a Brit trapped on the Californian coronavirus cruise ship says only Americans are being allowed to disembark for testing - and has called on Boris to help.

Jackie Bissell, 70, is one of 140 Brits stuck on the Grand Princess cruise ship, currently marooned off the coast of California.

The boat was turned away from docking in San Fransisco after 21 people onboard tested positive for the coronavirus.

Despite reports that the ship will be allowed to dock in Oakland tomorrow, Jackie's daughter Michelle said that passengers onboard had been told that only Americans allowed to disembark for testing.

Jackie Bissell, 70, is one of 140 Brits stuck on the Grand Princess cruise ship, currently marooned off the coast of California.

She said: "I just want Boris to get involved now. My mum has been told that the Americans are going to leave the ship.

"She hasn't been outside for three days. The food is inedible now, and I'm really quite concerned."

Jackie - from Dartford, Kent - booked the cruise, which departed from Los Angeles over two weeks ago, as part of her seventieth birthday celebrations.

The ship had just spent three days in Hawaii and was returning to port when there was an outbreak of coronavirus on board, meaning all passengers have been quarantined in their rooms.

More than 3,500 travellers and crew members are on board. Of those who have tested positive for the virus 19 are members of the crew, according to US Vice President Mike Pence.

Eerie images from the Grand Princess showed deserted corridors with discarded plates of food outside passengers' doors.

According to Jackie, masked members of the crew have been periodically patrolling the corridors to deliver passengers food and water.

Michelle said: "They have been told that when they dock, only American passengers will be able to leave the ship and be tested.

"My mum is still in limbo. She said that, at the last lunch before she was confined to her cabin, it was a free-for-all.

"There was fighting, people were grabbing food and taking it back to their cabins. The first day of isolation she couldn't get through to room service and was only given two bottles of water."

According to reports in the New York Times, Californians onboard the ship will be quarantined in a federal centre in the state. Non-Californians will reportedly be taken to facilities in other states.

Despite the drama, Jackie - who is stuck in a cabin with a friend - is not exhibiting any symptoms of the virus, her daughter said.

Michelle said: "She has a headache, but she thinks that's down to stress and not having any fresh air.

"As for symptoms of the coronavirus, at the moment there's nothing."

However Jackie's family members are worried that she could easily catch the virus, and has urged the prime minister to intervene.

Michelle added: "There's been no communication from the British government at all. None at all.

"She's getting information from me, and the captain of the ship - who has told them to ignore any media coverage. At one point, she said that we're getting more information than she is.

"We want the maximum amount of media coverage now, so that our government has to do something.

"I thought they may have learned lessons from the last cruise ship, but it doesn't look like they have - because we've heard nothing."