Japan draws criticism over coronavirus response

Critics say govt more concerned with managing public perception than outbreak as hundreds disembark cruise ship

TOKYO: As hundreds disembarked the virusstricken cruise ship Diamond Princess yesterday, Japan faces deepening criticism over its response to the outbreak, tarnishing what was supposed to be a triumphant Olympic year for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

More than 540 people on board have been infected with the coronavirus, the most outside of China.

The United States evacuated more than 300 citizens from the ship on Monday, and more countries are following suit.

But as the crisis in the port of Yokohama winds down, focus now turns to Tokyo, where critics say the government’s response has seemed more concerned with managing public perception than the outbreak.

Some of the most pointed criticism has come from the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which said the quarantine may not have been sufficient.

For some Japanese, the outbreak carries an uneasy echo of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear meltdown, when the government was widely criticised for downplaying another crisis.

“The spread of the virus is wider than the government said,” said Shinichi Niwa, an adjunct professor at Fukushima Medical University. “During the (Fukushima) disaster, the government said there was no meltdown. So they hid the truth at the time, and I’m afraid the same situation is happening with the coronavirus.”

The government has repeatedly said its response has been appropriate, and some prominent doctors have defended it.

“Epidemiological evidence shows that our isolation strategy worked,” Shigeru Omi, president of the Japan Community Healthcare Organisation, said at a recent briefing. “Almost 4,000 people stay on this ship, which is not designed for isolation for several weeks, and this is a very challenging situation.”

Passengers and crew on the ship will be required to wait at least 14 days after disembarking from the ship before traveling to the United States, the CDC said.

The British-flagged Diamond Princess arrived in Yokohama on Feb 3 with about 3,700 people onboard after a man, who disembarked last month in Hong Kong was diagnosed with the virus.

From the start, experts raised questions about the quarantine process.

Passengers were not confined to their rooms until Feb 5. The day before, as officials screened them, onboard events continued, including dances, quiz games and an exercise class, one passenger said.

Passengers also said during early screening visits, Japanese health officials wore only masks, not full protective suits.

The virus was later diagnosed in two quarantine officers.

Meanwhile, the virus spread, most likely by people within their own cabins or by asymptomatic crew members interacting with passengers, experts said.

Japan also let people off the boat piecemeal, including those over 80 who tested negative, which experts said went against common protocols.

The contagion may have been fueled below deck, where the crew of about 1,100 worked and slept in cramped quarters sharing living spaces and bathrooms.

Some have said Japan should have quarantined passengers on land.

A Kyodo news agency poll said 53% of respondents weren’t happy with how Abe handled the situation. – Reuters