TOKYO: Another 67 people onboard a cruise ship quarantined off Japan's coast have tested positive for the new coronavirus, the country's health minister said on Saturday (Feb 15).
The new cases, from 217 tests, bring the number of people diagnosed on the Diamond Princess to 285, excluding a quarantine officer who also contracted the illness.
READ: US to evacuate Americans from quarantined ship in Japan: Embassy
READ: 5 Singaporeans on quarantined cruise ship off Japan
The United States said earlier on Saturday it would send an aircraft to Japan to bring back US passengers on the ship.
In a message to Americans, the embassy said the US government "recommends, out of an abundance of caution, that US citizens disembark and return to the United States for further monitoring".
It warned that those who return will have to undergo another 14 days of quarantine when they arrive in the United States.
Japanese public broadcaster NHK said 400 Americans were on board the cruise ship and the plane will leave Tokyo's Haneda airport as soon as early Monday.
While some Americans on the ship have urged their government to extract them from the boat, others on board criticised the plan.
"Incredibly disappointed that the US Government has decided to throw a monkey wrench into the quarantine we have maintained here on board the Diamond Princess," tweeted Matt Smith, an American lawyer.
"The US Government... wants to take us off without testing, fly us back to the US with a bunch of other untested people, and then stick us in 2 more weeks of quarantine? How does that make any sense at all?"
QUARANTINE TIMELINE IN DOUBT
There were more than 3,700 people on the ship when it arrived off the Japanese coast, but more than 200 have been diagnosed with COVID-19 and taken to local hospitals.
But a message broadcast on the ship by the captain on Saturday night cast doubt on that timeline.
"The Japanese government has informed us that they may start a new testing process for guests beginning February 18," the message said, warning that it would take several days to complete and results would not be available for around three days.
Comments
Post a Comment