Orcas Island couple caught overseas in coronavirus shuffle now coming home

An Orcas Island couple coming home from Asia is hoping to avoid quarantine for the novel coronavirus when they arrive at Sea-Tac Airport.

If all goes as planned Lydia and John Miller should be en route now.

They spent the past few days in Cambodia – mostly out walking, drinking coconuts, and eating street food.

“This country is amazing,” Lydia Miller said from her hotel room in Phnom Penh.

They were not under quarantine, but waiting for a flight out. Their Holland America cruise ship, the Westerdam, ended up in Cambodia after a string of Asian countries wouldn’t allow the ship to dock because of fears of COVID-19.

At the time, there were no reported cases of the disease on board, but the ship had been coming from Hong Kong.

They were told to report to the on-board clinic if they had any symptoms, Lydia Miller said, but other than that, it was a normal cruise and they were allowed to move around the ship normally.

“The weird thing was that we were at sea and we didn’t know where we were going to go.”

Lydia Miller watched the situation unfold on TV aboard the ship.

“It’s certainly very weird to be watching the news, and it’s about you. I never had that experience before.”

After the ship docked in Cambodia, one passenger tested positive for COVID-19 when she flew to Malaysia. All other passengers and crew have tested negative, according to Holland America.

Lydia Miller says the couple also tested negative. Now that they had finally found a country that would allow them to transfer via connecting flight, they’re hoping to avoid quarantine when they arrive at Sea-Tac Airport.

“My concern is also just getting home and I’ll be able to resume my life, and I don’t know what’s going to happen at the Seattle airport as far as what they’ll ask of us.”