Monterey Peninsula Chamber of Commerce “dismayed” about Asilomar quarantine

Pacific Grove, Calif. (KION)

The Monterey Peninsula Chamber of Commerce says business owners in the peninsula are dismayed surrounding Governor Gavin Newsom's decision to quarantine Grand Princess cruise ship passengers at Asilomar Conference Grounds in Pacific Grove.

In a news conference on Tuesday, Governor Newsom announced that passengers who had tested negative for coronavirus and did not require hospitalization would be taken to hotels and motels in counties across the state, Monterey County was mentioned.

Four passengers were chosen to quarantine at Asilomar for 14 days.

In a tweet, the City of Monterey said the Office of Emergency Services notified the county about the decision and were told the four passengers had been tested at a Bay area hospital.

Still, according to Frank Geisler, President & CEO of the Chamber, businesses are now "concerned that the reputation of the Monterey Peninsula will be tainted by this high-profile quarantine location."

Geisler who spoke to KION on Tuesday night says businesses already experienced a slowdown in tourism and this latest decision is going to really hurt the local economy.

The chamber says it has emailed a bulletin to its members with an outline of concerns for the business community.