niman Posted February 13, 2020 Report Posted February 13, 2020 Health Minister Katsunobu Kato said Thursday there were 44 new cases -- including one crew member -- from an additional 221 tests. https://www.sowetanlive.co.za/news/world/2020-02-13-japan-cruise-ship-virus-cases-jump-to-218-as-elderly-offered-escape/
niman Posted February 13, 2020 Author Report Posted February 13, 2020 Japan cruise ship virus cases jump to 218 as elderly offered escape BY AFP - 13 February 2020 - 12:45 The Diamond Princess cruise ship is seen anchored at the Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal in Yokohama port on February 13, 2020Image: Kazuhiro NOGI / AFP Japan said Thursday it would allow some elderly passengers off a quarantined cruise ship and into government-designated lodging, as the number of new coronavirus cases on the vessel jumped to 218. Thousands of passengers and crew on the Diamond Princess - the single largest cluster of infected people outside China - face several days more of quarantine, with many taking to social media to voice their concerns. Those working on the ship have been reluctant to speak to reporters for fear of losing their jobs, but two crew members broke their silence in a video broadcast by Indian media Thursday. "The situation on board is getting worse day by day," 24-year-old ship security officer Sonali Thakkar told AFP. "This morning they told us that 44 people have been infected and everyone is really scared and wanting to get off as soon as possible," she added. "All we want is tests to be done and to be separated from those who are positive. We don't want to stay on board." With passengers mostly confined to their cabins, crew members have to go door-to-door to deliver food and other supplies, and some fear this has reduced the effectiveness of the quarantine. Health Minister Katsunobu Kato said Thursday there were 44 new cases -- including one crew member -- from an additional 221 tests. He said also that some elderly passengers would be allowed off the ship if they test negative for the COVID-19 virus. Those who opt to leave will be moved to government facilities to wait out a quarantine that is set to last until February 19. "If they test negative, those who wish to disembark can go and live in a lodging facility that the government will prepare," Kato said. The captain informed the passengers of the new plan via ship broadcast. "The Ministry of Health has already tested guests 80 years or older who are staying in a cabin without a balcony, and those 80 years or older with chronic medical conditions," he said.
niman Posted February 13, 2020 Author Report Posted February 13, 2020 Japan reports 44 more cases of virus on quarantined ship By MARI YAMAGUCHIan hour ago 1 of 3 Passengers stand on the deck of the Diamond Princess cruise ship anchored at Yokohama Port in Yokohama, near Tokyo, Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2020. Japan’s health ministry said Wednesday that 39 new cases of a virus have been confirmed on the cruise ship quarantined at the Japanese port. (Yuta Omori/Kyodo News via AP) TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s health ministry said Thursday 44 more people on a cruise ship quarantined near Tokyo have tested positive for the virus that causes the new disease known as COVID-19. The Diamond Princess, which is still carrying about 3,500 passengers and crew members, now has 218 people infected with the virus out of 713 people tested since it entered Yokohama Port on Feb. 3, the largest cluster of infections outside China. In all, Japan has 247 confirmed cases of the new disease that apparently started in Wuhan, a city in central China, in December. Health Minister Katsunobu Kato said five of the patients sent to hospitals earlier have severe symptoms and are on artificial respirators or under intensive care. Kato also said the government has decided to allow passengers older than 80 to get off the ship after testing negative for the virus. He said results of tests on about 200 eligible passengers are underway, and those with chronic health problems or in cabins without operable windows will be given priority. Kato said the measure is to reduce health risks for passengers stuck in rooms under difficult conditions. Those who are released will be asked to stay at a designated facility through the end of the quarantine period. “We are doing our utmost for the health of crew members and passengers who remain on the ship,” Kato told a news conference. Some experts have questioned Japan’s strategy of isolating the passengers and crew in a potentially virus-affected environment on the ship while the disease is already slowly making its way into the country. “On the ship, infections are getting very dense,” said Shigeru Omi, an infectious disease prevention expert and former regional director for the World Health Organization. “It’s like we are seeing a very condensed version of what could happen in a local community.” Omi, who currently heads the Japan Community Health Care Organization, said those people who have tested positive for the virus are “only a fraction” of what could already be spreading outside of the ship. “We should assume that the virus has already been spreading in Japan,” he said. ___ Follow Mari Yamaguchi on Twitter at https://www.twitter.com/mariyamaguchi https://apnews.com/ff4f6baa1b49f96dc15c236b5b467369?utm_source=Twitter&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_medium=AP
niman Posted February 13, 2020 Author Report Posted February 13, 2020 The Diamond Princess, which is still carrying about 3,500 passengers and crew members, now has 218 people infected with the virus out of 713 people tested since it entered Yokohama Port on Feb. 3, the largest cluster of infections outside China. https://apnews.com/ff4f6baa1b49f96dc15c236b5b467369?utm_source=Twitter&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_medium=AP
Stephen Flynn Posted February 13, 2020 Report Posted February 13, 2020 57 minutes ago, niman said: "It’s like we are seeing a very condensed version of what could happen in a local community.” How very astute.
niman Posted February 13, 2020 Author Report Posted February 13, 2020 About new coronavirus infectious disease confirmed in cruise ship during quarantine in Yokohama Port (the eighth report) The cruise ship Diamond Princess, which arrived at Yokohama Port on February 3, is under quarantine at sea. In addition, a new coronavirus test was newly conducted, and positive results were confirmed for 44 of the 221 patients whose results were found. In the future, it will be transported to medical institutions with infectious disease wards. Positive results were confirmed in 218 of the 713 tests. Some of the conveyed persons include elderly people and foreign nationals, and it is necessary to take measures that take into account physical conditions. The press is requested to give special consideration to coverage of this matter. Quarantine of the cruise ship continues to be implemented. A new coronavirus test is conducted for those who need it, and the results will be announced later. https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/newpage_09425.html
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