39 new coronavirus cases on cruise ship off Japan; 174 now infected
Thirty-nine more cases of coronavirus were confirmed Tuesday aboard the cruise ship Diamond Princess that’s quarantined off Yokohama, Japan, bringing to 174 the number of cases aboard the ship, Princess Cruises said Tuesday, cinformed reports from the Japanese Ministry of Health.
The ship, which set sail Jan. 20, arrived Feb. 3 in Yokohama carrying about 3,700 passengers and crew. A passenger who disembarked from the cruise in Hong Kong had contracted the virus, leading to the ship’s quarantine.
The ship’s quarantine, set by Japanese officials, is scheduled to continue through Feb. 19 — “unless there are any unforeseen developments,” Princess said earlier.
As they are diagnosed with coronavirus, passengers are taken off the ship to medical facilities on shore. Apart from the coronavirus cases, 10 more passengers have been disembarked for other medical problems, Princess said.
Carl Goldman records online their experiences on the quarantined ship: ‘My wife’s reaction to the toilet paper was like giving her a diamond ring.’
The cruise line has said that it will refund the full cruise fare for all guests on the quarantined ship, including air travel, hotel, ground transportation, prepaid shore excursions, gratuities and other items “because of the extraordinary circumstances onboard Diamond Princess.”
Princess also said it would give guests credit toward a future cruise equal to the fare guests paid for the voyage that ended Feb. 4.
For the passengers who remain aboard, the quarantine includes confinement to guest rooms for most of the day. Meals are delivered by the crew. Passengers get limited opportunities to take in fresh air on deck, especially those in inside cabins that don’t have windows.
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