44 new cases of novel coronavirus confirmed on Diamond Princess in Yokohama

An additional 44 people on a cruise ship quarantined in Yokohama have tested positive for the novel coronavirus(COVID-19), bringing the total of on board infections to 218, Japanese authorities said on Thursday.

 

The increases come after 40 new cases were confirmed positive for the novel coronavirus on Wednesday, including a quarantine officer from the health ministry who was carrying out health inspections aboard the Diamond Princess, authorities said.

 

The officer had been on the ship between Feb. 3-4, taking temperatures of passengers and crew members and collecting questionnaires on their health.

 

Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare said that although the quarantine officer was using a mask and gloves and had been disinfecting his hands between seeing each passenger, he had not been wearing protective clothing or goggles.

 

Officials confirmed that one of the conformed cases onboard is a female teenager, the first infection found in a person of that age in Japan.

 

The health ministry is investigating whether there were problems with health management onboard the vessel.

 

"The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare is responsible for the quarantine of the cases with the novel coronavirus on the cruise ship, and the Port and Harbor Bureau of Yokohama cooperates with them. The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare confirms whether the passengers on board were infected with the virus, and then take measures to send them to hospital by ambulance for treatment," said Makoto Kaeriyama, chief of the passenger ship promotion department at the Port and Harbor Bureau of Yokohama.

 

Major ports in Japan are strengthening the inspection of the berthed ships to prevent further spread of the virus.

 

"Affected by the outbreak of the novel coronavirus pneumonia, the Port of Yokohama canceled scheduled arrangement of passenger ships. We hope that the situation will return to normal as soon as possible. The residents in Yokohama are worried about their safety, so we want to dispel their anxiety as soon as possible," said Kaeriyama.

 

Around 3,600 passengers and crew members will be confined to the quarantined Diamond Princess until at least Feb. 19 as tests continue to be carried out, health ministry officials said.

 

The ship has been kept in quarantine off the port of Yokohama since a passenger on board from Hong Kong was found to be infected with the pneumonia-causing virus.

 

The 80-year-old passenger flew to Tokyo in mid-January and boarded the cruise ship in the city on Jan. 20, with passengers and crew from 56 countries and regions.

 

According to local media reports, passengers have been largely confined to their cabins, though they have been allowed to spend some time on deck while being monitored by staff. Crew members, however, are sharing cabins and are required to move around the ship more frequently.

 

Four men all in their 60s or 70s, who were previously found to have been infected by the virus and taken to hospital from the quarantined Diamond Princess ship, are in severe condition, the health ministry said.

 

Two of the four elderly men are receiving treatment in intensive care units, while the other two are suffering with respiratory issues and need assistance breathing, according to ministry officials.

 

Japan is stepping up efforts to contain the spread of the virus, as the number of confirmed cases continues to rise, with the government urging for the public to remain calm and disregard a growing number of social media rumors concerning the outbreak.

 

Source:cctvplus

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