Canada will send a chartered plane to bring home Canadians on board a cruise ship that is being held off the coast of California because of an outbreak of COVID-19, the Canadian Foreign Ministry said on Sunday.

"This decision was made following a request for assistance from the Government of the United States to repatriate Canadians," the ministry said in a statement.

"The plane will bring passengers from San Francisco to Canadian Forces Base Trenton, after which they will be assessed and undergo a 14-day quarantine," the statement added.

The U.S. government announced on Friday that 21 passengers on board the Grand Princess cruise ship had tested positive for COVID-19.

The Grand Princess cruise ship is headed to the port of Oakland, California after idling off San Francisco for days.

The ship, which is carrying more than 3,500 people from 54 countries, including 237 Canadians, is expected to reach Oakland on Monday.