3500 passengers and crew quarantined on cruise ship in Japan

Japan yesterday took the dramatic step of quarantining a cruise ship carrying some 3500 people, over fears of the Coronavirus. The Diamond Princess was detained in Yokohama Harbour and Japanese television footage showed quarantine officers entering the ship to check the health of all 2,500 passengers and 1,000 crew.

A woman in her twenties, travelling with her mother on the ship, told reporters that all passengers “were asked to stay in their rooms to wait for virus tests.” She said they had been waiting inside their room since yesterday and had no word on when they would be tested.

The ship was already quarantined on Saturday at a port in Naha, Okinawa, Japan’s southernmost prefecture. A second quarantine was arranged after the passenger who disembarked in Hong Kong was found to be infected.

Since Saturday, Japan has barred all foreign nationals who have been to Hubei in recent weeks, as well as holders of Chinese passports issued in Hubei, regardless of when they were last there. Arrivals displaying symptoms of the virus are also denied entry. Japanese media reported yesterday that a total of eight foreigners have so far been denied entry.

Japan’s health ministry says that as of yesterday, 20 people in Japan have tested positive for the new virus, and notes that four showed no symptoms. Meanwhile, Japan has flown more than 500 of its citizens out of Wuhan, the epicentre of the coronavirus.

SOURCE: Chiang Rai Times