- Japan quarantined a cruise ship and is screening all 3,711 people onboard after a passenger was tested positive for the deadly Wuhan coronavirus.
- An 80-year-old man who had been on The Diamond Princess’ first leg tested positive in Hong Kong on January 31, and is deemed to have the virus.
- He had disembarked from the ship earlier, but hundreds of other passengers remained.
- The ship arrived back in Yokohama, Japan, on Monday. All 2,666 passengers and 1,045 crew members are now being held in quarantine to be screened for the virus.
- A passenger has been sharing photos of the quarantine from inside the ship. Scroll down to see some of them.
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Japan has quarantined a cruise ship carrying more than 3,700 people after one tested positive for the Wuhan coronavirus last week.
An unnamed 80-year-old man boarded The Diamond Princess in Yokohama on January 20, disembarked in Hong Kong on January 25, and admitted himself to the hospital on January 31. He was deemed to have contracted the virus.
The cruise ship, operated by Carnival Japan, arrived back to Yokohama on Monday. It was placed under quarantine upon arrival, Reuters reported.
There are a total of 2,666 passengers and 1,045 crew members on board right now, according to the cruise operator.
Upon arrival in Japan passengers were told to remain in their cabins, and were on Tuesday visited by medical crews, who took their temperatures and gave them a questionnaire to fill out.
Those displaying any signs of the virus, including high temperatures and fevers, would undergo further tests from medical staff, Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said, according to The Japan Times.
Guests were allowed to resume their onboard activity after being screened, but the casino, shops, and photo studio have been shut, Reuters reported. It’s not entirely clear what the other activities available are.
A passenger on board has been tweeting images of the ship amid the quarantine. They show heavily-protected medical workers in blue walking up and down the deserted hallways, and once-populated attractions – like the rooftop pool – totally empty.
Last week Italian authorities quarantined a cruise ship carrying more than 6,000 people at Civitavecchia, Italy, amid fears that two passengers had the coronavirus. They were released on January 31.
The coronavirus has hit the travel industry hard as multiple airlines canceled flights to mainland China, and countries advised against visiting there. Shares of airlines, hotels, and cruise lines have been trading lower since the virus began.
The virus has killed 426 people and infected more than 20,000 since it broke out in early December 2019. It has spread to 24 countries.
