235 Canadians on cruise ship held for COVID-19 testing off California coast

There are 235 Canadians on the passenger manifest for a cruise ship that is being held off the coast of California for coronavirus testing.

Global Affairs Canada says there are no confirmed cases of the new coronavirus on the ship.

But the federal department says previous passengers of the Grand Princess cruise ship have tested positive for COVID-19, which is the respiratory disease caused by a new strain of coronavirus that first appeared in China last year.

The federal department says it is in contact with the cruise line and local authorities and is monitoring developments closely.

Any Canadians who need emergency assistance are being asked to call the Canadian consulate general in San Francisco.

Earlier today, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau warned ``knee-jerk'' reactions to the outbreak will not keep people safe as he defended Canada's decision not to close its borders to foreign nationals coming from regions where the outbreak is spreading.