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Dillsburg couple finally heading home after weeks in quarantine for coronavirus

Bill and Colette Smedley first boarded a cruise ship on Jan. 6 to celebrate their 33rd anniversary. They were supposed to be home on Feb. 3.
Credit: Bill Smedley
Bill and Colette Smedley take a selfie on their way home after weeks in quarantine for the coronavirus.

YORK COUNTY, Pa. — It appears that the Smedleys' long-delayed homecoming is finally happening.

Bill Smedley said Wednesday in a social media post that he and his wife, Colette, are on their way back to Dillsburg, York County from San Antonio, Texas after a judge rejected an injunction filed by the city that sought to require them to spend more time in quarantine as part of efforts to contain the coronavirus outbreak.

It was the second stint in quarantine for the couple, who were supposed to be back home from vacation on Feb. 3 after boarding a Diamond Princess cruise ship on Jan. 6. The couple was celebrating their 33rd wedding anniversary.

But after passengers aboard the ship tested positive for coronavirus, the Smedleys and 338 other passengers were kept on board the ship as a safety precaution.

Credit: Bill Smedley

After they made it through quarantine in Japan, the Smedleys were flown back to the United States on Feb. 17. They said 14 people on their flight tested positive for the virus, and were sent to Nebraska. 

The rest were isolated in San Antonio, where they self-monitored their temperatures and diligently checked for other signs of illness.

Neither of the Smedleys have tested positive, Bill Smedley said.

The Smedleys were expected to head home Monday, but their homecoming was delayed while the injunction was considered in court.

Now, it appears, their long odyssey is over.

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