Japan allows passengers to disembark after Diamond Princess quarantine ends

Police escort passengers off the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Yokohama, Japan on February 19. Photo: Reuters

The Diamond Princess, operated by Carnival Corporation, was quarantined upon docking at Yokohama on February 3, after a man who disembarked in Hong Kong before the ship sailed to Japan was diagnosed with the coronavirus.

More than 540 people have been infected with Covid-19 on the cruise ship, which originally carried about 3,700 passengers and crew. Many of the infected have been transferred to hospitals. About half of the passengers are Japanese nationals. And Japan has become the second country after China in the number of confirmed cases of the Corona virus due to the infection on this cruise ship.

Tokyo has faced criticism for its handling of the quarantine, although senior government officials have defended the quarantine and testing campaign on board.

“It is regrettable that cases have emerged, but we have taken appropriate steps to prevent serious cases, including sending infected people to hospital, as far as possible,” Health Minister Katsunobu Katsunobu was quoted as saying by Japan’s NHK.

A Japanese health official also said that an estimated 500 people were disembarked on February 19, and the entire process will be completed by February 21. NHK reported that those who had shared a room with passengers who tested positive for Covid-19 will be forced to stay on the ship for an additional 14 days from the time the infected passengers were transferred. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said at a press conference that crew members, who had shared a room together, will be moved to separate rooms and undergo health checks.

In addition to the cruise ship cases and those brought back from Wuhan, China, Japan has confirmed about 60 new domestic cases, including 22 in Tokyo. Concerned about the economic impact, Tokyo has moved quickly to limit public gatherings and some companies have asked employees to work from home. Covid-19 has also raised concerns about the prospects of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which are scheduled to open on July 24, but organizers have so far said there are no plans to cancel the Summer Games.