SAN ANTONIO — About 100 Americans on a cruise ship off the California coast will be transferred to a military base in San Antonio for quarantine and testing for the coronavirus and the COVID-19 illness it causes. San Antonio officials were informed of the move Saturday night by the U.S. Health and Human Services Department.

In a statement Sunday, a spokesman for Gov. Greg Abbott said the governor had been informed of details of the plan by Vice President Mike Pence, who is now overseeing the federal response.

“Approximately 90 Texans” are among the number of U.S. citizens expected to arrive at Lackland Air Force Base, Abbott spokesman John Wittman said in a statement.

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It was not clear when the group would arrive.

“All of the repatriated citizens will remain at Lackland under quarantine until they clear the revised and heightened testing protocol to ensure they are not affected by the COVID-19 virus,” Wittman said.

Once the passengers are cleared of the testing protocol, the Texans will be released to return home and the others will be returned to their home states using a safety method developed for previous cruise ship passengers taken to Lackland.

The plan was developed after one woman was mistakenly released after testing positive for the virus and the city of San Antonio declared a public health emergency and filed a lawsuit over the woman’s release.

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There have been no known cases of the illness being transmitted in San Antonio, Mayor Ron Nirenberg said.

Stay updated with the Spectrum News coronavirus page.

For the latest information from the CDC go here. 

The Associated Press contributed to this story.