Cruise ship "Asuka 2" Aiming to resume operations next month Passenger infection assumption training October 22, 18:55
Due to the spread of the new coronavirus infection, large cruise ships that have stopped operating are in full swing toward resumption.
Of these, the largest cruise ship in Japan, Asuka 2, was trained on the assumption that passengers were infected with the aim of resuming next month.
Since the outbreak of the new coronavirus outbreak on the British-flagged cruise ship "Diamond Princess" in February, three companies that have operated large cruise ships in Japan have suspended their operations. I will.
Under these circumstances, "Nyk Cruises", which operates "Asuka 2", created a manual for dealing with the new coronavirus based on the guidelines created by industry groups last month, and is currently affiliated with the third-party organization "Nippon Kaiji Kyokai". It is being examined.
On the 21st, training was conducted on the assumption that passenger infection was confirmed on board the ship heading from Kobe Port to Yokohama Port.
First, we instructed all passengers to wait in their own room by broadcasting on board, and then prioritized disinfection of the cooking room, elevators and corridors used for transportation in order to provide meals.
Then, in order to avoid contact with passengers, the bag containing the lunch box was hung on the hook on the side of the door of the guest room.
In addition, a series of measures such as inspecting passengers who have made close contact, isolating those who are confirmed to be infected in another cabin, and designating the surrounding area as a section that can only be accessed by crew members wearing protective clothing etc. I was checking.
A person in charge of the Nippon Kaiji Kyokai who witnessed the training said, "It worked according to the manual and there was no problem. I would like to proceed with the examination based on the contents of this training."
In "Nyk Cruises", if the examination is passed, the domestic tour will be resumed from next month, and the deputy director of the management department, Kazutoshi Kujime, who is in charge of infection control, said, "We can improve even more details. We will provide as much service as possible, so I want you to board the ship with confidence. "
Guideline creation "Authentication" is a resumption condition
Following the outbreak of the new coronavirus on a cruise ship, industry groups last month created guidelines for safe operation under the supervision of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.
According to the guidelines,
▽ Crew members who have not been confirmed to be negative by the pre-boarding test will be kept in a private room for 2 weeks after boarding, and
▽ Passengers who are in poor physical condition will not be allowed to carry the virus on board. Measures are included.
In addition, at "Diamond Princess", it seems that the infection spread through the use of shared facilities and events
, so in order to avoid crowding, we restricted the number of people and specified seats, etc.
▽ Meals As a general rule, it is stipulated not to make it a buffet style.
In addition, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, it seems that the delay in initial response led to the spread of infection.
▽ When passengers and crew members were confirmed to have symptoms such as fever, the event and shared facilities were discontinued.
▽ All passengers are supposed to wait in their own room.
Based on these guidelines, the three companies that operate large cruise ships in Japan have created individual infection control manuals for each of the "Asuka 2", "Nippon Maru" and "Pacific Venus" passenger ships.
Of these, in "Asuka 2", if an infected person is confirmed on board, all the staff will perform disinfection work, etc., and all areas where people come and go will be made into a "green zone" without infection risk within 1 hour. doing.
In addition, in order to streamline disinfection work
, priority is given to disinfecting
cooking rooms necessary for providing meals
and elevators and corridors where passengers and crew frequently enter and exit, and
▽ ceilings and other areas are not touched by people. The location is excluded.
In order to resume the operation of cruise ships, it is necessary to obtain "certification" indicating that the infection control manual is appropriate after being examined by the Nippon Kaiji Kyokai, a third-party organization. Is making adjustments for resumption after next month.
Fuka Sakamoto, president of NYK Cruises, a group company of NYK that operates Asuka 2, said, "It is quite difficult to regain the image of a cruise ship that was once lost,'safe and secure', but it is steadily one by one. I want to regain my image by accumulating safety. "
Expectations for domestic cruises
In recent years, cruise ship tours have become popular around the world, and foreign cruise companies are increasing the number of tours calling at Japan.
According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, the number of foreigners who visited Japan by cruise ship last year was 2.153 million, which is 12 times the number in 2013 when they started to set records.
According to the research group of the National Institute for Land and Infrastructure Management, it is estimated that the economic effect of foreign cruise ships on Japan will amount to 311.3 billion yen in 2017.
Under these circumstances, cruise ships have been actively attracted in Japan in anticipation of economic effects.
Each local government has been developing quays and passenger terminals, and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has designated nine ports in Japan as "international cruise bases" and has been supporting acceptance by focusing on maintenance.
However, due to the spread of the new coronavirus infection worldwide, there is a growing movement to stop accepting cruise ships from other countries at overseas ports, so there is no prospect of resuming international cruises. Hmm.
Under these circumstances, domestic cruises are attracting attention.
The number of Japanese people who used domestic cruise ships in the last year was 118,000.
The Tokyo International Cruise Terminal, which opened in Aomi, Koto-ku, Tokyo last month, is also looking forward to the resumption of domestic cruises.
Before the Olympics, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government will spend about 39 billion yen to maintain it, and it has a quay over 400 meters so that it can attract the world's largest passenger ships.
Initially, 50 cruise ships were scheduled to call at the port in the six months from July, but due to the effects of the new coronavirus, all were canceled.
Last month, it opened two months later than originally planned, and the observation deck was released, but when I visited about a month after the opening, there were no passenger ships and there were few people enjoying the scenery. did.
From next year onward, reservations for international cruise ships will be made, but it is still uncertain whether they will be realized.
On the other hand, with regard to domestic cruise ships, the operators of the cruise ships have requested that they call at the port in December, so the person in charge in Tokyo has given the opportunity to restart domestic cruises and energize the port. I want to
Kanae Fukumoto, chief of the Tokyo Metropolitan Port Cooperation Division, said, "The entire region should have been excited with the holding of the Olympic Games, but there was a big gap with expectations. The resumption of domestic cruises is finally visible in the bright news. I want to prepare for acceptance. "
Expert "Thorough management of the physical condition of passengers and crew"
Professor Koji Wada of the International University of Health and Welfare, who is familiar with cruise ship infectious disease control, said, "Since many people are working on cruise ships, we recognize that businesses have been preparing for resumption in order to maintain employment. Because the inside of the ship is a place of living and the infection is easy to spread, it is necessary to thoroughly manage the physical condition of not only the passengers but also the crew members. "
On the other hand, he said, "Infectious diseases such as influenza are likely to spread in winter, and restarting at this time is a big challenge." He said, "There may be situations where it is difficult to distinguish between colds and the new coronavirus, so I am not feeling well. Passengers need to be treated with caution. "