Cases on Diamond Princess hit 355
TOKYO: The number of people infected with the deadly new coronavirus on a quarantined ship in Japan has risen to 355, the country’s health minister said yesterday, as the United States, Canada and Hong Kong prepare to repatriate their residents on board.
The figure is a jump of 70 cases from a government tally released on Saturday and comes as Katsunobu Kato voiced worries that the rising infection count among the nation’s general population could mean the virus’s spread has entered a new phase.
“So far, we have conducted tests for 1,219 individuals. Of those, 355 people tested positive,” Mr Kato told a roundtable discussion for public broadcaster NHK on conditions aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship.
The vessel has been in quarantine since Feb 5 at the port of Yokohama near Tokyo and Japan’s efforts to control the viral infections on board have prompted international concern.
The ship was carrying more than 3,700 passengers and crew from more than 50 countries and territories when it docked and was placed in isolation after authorities found a passenger who got off in Hong Kong during the voyage had tested positive for the virus.
Japanese officials continued to find new infections among the passengers and crew and rushed them to local hospitals, while others have been told to stay inside their cabins during the 14-day quarantine period set to end Wednesday.
The US was preparing to evacuate some of its citizens yesterday but said those repatriated will go through another two-week quarantine period at home.
“Based on the high number of COVID-19 cases identified on board the Diamond Princess, the Department of Health and Human Services made an assessment that passengers and crew members on board are at high risk of exposure,” the US embassy said in a letter to its citizens on the boat.
Hong Kong has also said it will offer its 330 city residents on board the chance to take a charter flight back.
Canada announced a similar decision to repatriate its nationals.
Japan has not been able to test all those on board due to limited supplies of testing kits, facilities and manpower, which are also needed by authorities tracking the spread of the virus on land.
But the health ministry said on Saturday that passengers older than 70 are being examined and those testing negative and in good health will be allowed to leave the ship from Wednesday.
Tests on younger passengers were expected to start yesterday and healthy people will be allowed to get off after Wednesday, it said.
Japan has seen 53 infections across the nation, including a dozen new cases reported on Saturday and 13 cases among more than 760 Japanese nationals repatriated from Wuhan, China.