Tokyo (AFP)

The nightmare of a long quarantine ends for most of the passengers of the cruise ship Diamond Princess, affected by the coronavirus, but the isolation is far from over for more than 1,000 crew members.

While the passengers on board were confined to their cabins almost 24 hours a day, most of the on-board staff were not subject to the same constraints.

They had to prepare and carry meals to the cabins, bring towels, deliver newspapers. The fact that these tasks were carried out by the original crew was met with strong criticism, with some believing that they could have become, despite themselves, agents of the virus.

Out of 3,711 people initially on the ship, more than 630 contracted this coronavirus, which appeared for the first time in December in China, and which then spread to several countries, especially in Asia. The Diamond Princess has become, by its importance, the 2nd home after China.

- "Very scared" -

Once released from professional obligations when the last passenger has left the ship, which was to be the case this weekend, the crew will have to undergo a quarantine of 14 days.

Employees generally abstained from speaking to the media for fear of losing their jobs, but some broke the silence to describe the difficult conditions and the anguish that plagued them.

Sonali Thakkar, a 24-year-old security patrol officer, told AFP that the teams were sleeping in pairs in a cabin, sharing the toilet and eating together. Under these circumstances, "the disease spreads very easily".

"We are very afraid, me and my colleagues, more than 1,000 crew members. We have been working since the quarantine of the ship began. As the days go by and the number of infected people increases, the fear is growing, "she said, even though the cases reported are then transferred to a shore hospital.

"We fear contagion and all we want is for tests to be done and negative people to be separated from positive people. We don't want to stay on board."

Her father Dinesh abounds: "Sonali is stuck in a small windowless room and is very afraid (...) We talk to her every day trying to calm her down."

"Why did the government wait so long for more and more people to become infected? It should have been evacuated with other Cruise Indians a long time ago," he told the ministry. AFP.

- "Stay happy" -

Princess Cruises President Jan Swartz wrote a letter to the crew, saying that the company is "deeply grateful and terribly proud of everyone".

"You deserve and will need a break. So we are offering you two months of paid vacation. This will include your salary and the average bonuses you would normally receive," she promised.

And passengers who were entirely dependent on the crew's food deliveries posted thank you notes on social media.

"My family and I would like to express our deep gratitude for your work, your sacrifices and your care over the past few weeks. We cannot imagine the difficulties you are experiencing and will continue to endure," said one of these messages.

Some crew members tried to keep morale high, including the cooks posting a video of them being seen dancing. "We have to try to stay happy in such situations," writes employee Binay Kumar Sarkar, posting a video of him singing.

But as days passed and new cases emerged daily, other crew members desperately asked for help.

Jayson Abalos, a Filipino chef on board, posted a letter on social media "on behalf of the Filipino crew of the Galley team of the Diamond Princess Cruise Ship".

"We are counting the days and it seems to be getting longer and longer. We are no longer in shape, physically or mentally. And we are stressed and scared."

"Money is nothing if you die and leave your family with no fond memories."

burs-ric-kap / uh / bedroom

© 2020 AFP