Coronavirus: 3,700 people quarantined on a cruise ship in Japan

Text by: RFI Follow

About 3,700 people are confined for at least fourteen days in the cabins of a cruise ship anchored off Yokohama, Japan, after the discovery of several cases of coronavirus on board.

Publicity

Since Monday evening, the Diamond Princess has been stationary off Yokohama, southwest of Tokyo. Its 3,700 passengers and crew members are absolutely prohibited from disembarking. This action was taken after a case of coronavirus was detected in Hong Kong in a person who had previously been on board.

Ten people on the #DiamondPrincess have tested positive for #coronavirus while all #WorldDream passengers and crew are also undergoing health checks. Here are the #cruiseships movements over the last two weeks. #MarineTraffic @daxa_tw #princesscruiselines #dreamcruise pic.twitter.com/HrtYC1hUKR

Two hundred and seventy-three vacationers were examined by the doctors, either because they were coughing or had a fever, or because they had been in close contact with this Hong Kong man. The results of the first 31 tests made it possible to detect a dozen additional infections. The sick were hospitalized, and all the other passengers were quarantined for 14 days. To avoid further infections on board, passengers were instructed to remain confined to their cabins during this quarantine.

Japanese televisions follow the event with passion, reports our correspondent in Tokyo, Bruno Duval . They charter helicopters to make images while circling over the ship. And from small motorboats, their reporters interview smiling cruise passengers at the top of their heads, sunbathing on the terrace of their cabins.

10 people on a cruise ship outside of #Tokyo have tested positive for the #coronavirus. The nearly 3,700 remaining passengers will be quarantined for at least 14 days. Backstories has more. #japan #chinahttps: //t.co/lTvaW3wrsa

Judging from the videos that some passengers have posted on social networks, the atmosphere on board is good despite this quarantine. Japanese opinion applauds this precautionary measure. Eight in ten Japanese say they are worried about the spread of the virus.

Similar situation in Hong Kong

Meanwhile in Hong Kong, 3,600 people, passengers and crew, are detained on Wednesday on another cruise ship, the World Dream , to undergo medical tests after three cases of coronavirus detected in recent ship passengers. " No passenger or crew member is allowed to disembark " until local health officials give the green light, said Leung Yiu-hong, a Hong Kong health official, on Wednesday.

🇭🇰 A quarantine search has begun for passengers on the #WorldDream cruise ship as at least eight from last group of passengers were confirmed with coronavirus positive from 24th last month. There are more than 3,600 passengers and crews on the cruise now. pic.twitter.com/HKGrSRgn8A

Over twenty countries have confirmed cases of coronavirus infection. This viral pneumonia has already killed 490 people in mainland China, according to the report announced Wednesday morning by the Chinese authorities, who also reported more than 24,300 infections in the country.

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