Number Infected With Coronavirus Onboard Cruise Ship In Japan Now 61 While More Are Sick. 5 More Cruise Ships On Way To Japan
Source: Thailand Medical News Feb 07, 2020 4 years, 9 months, 2 weeks, 4 hours, 30 minutes ago
The number of passengers onboard a British-American cruise docked in Japan, that are have tested positive for
coronavirus has now escalated to 61 with many more onboard getting sick and awaiting tests.
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All 3700 odd passengers are facing a 14 day quarantine while those infected have been moved to hospitals.
Health authorities from Japan have so far tested 273 people on board the Diamond Princess, which was quarantined after a former passenger, who disembarked in Hong Kong last month, was diagnosed with the
coronavirus.
Those found to be infected with the
coronavirus include 21 Japanese, as well as Americans, Canadians, Australians, an Argentine and a Briton.
A health ministry official said that twenty people who were earlier diagnosed with the
coronavirus have already been removed from the vessel, including one in serious condition. Testing was initially carried out on those who displayed symptoms or had come into close contact with the former passenger diagnosed with the virus.
But testing would now be expanded to those who are susceptible to illness, including elderly people and those with other ailments, as well as those who had close contact with the people newly diagnosed with the
coronavirus. No immediate details on how many people would meet those criteria or when the testing might take place was given.
To date, Japan has already reported at least 25 cases of
coronavirus aside from the infections on board the ship, and evacuated hundreds of citizens from Wuhan, the Chinese city where the virus emerged, including on a fourth flight Friday.
The numbers infected are expected to rise drastically as conditions on the ship are fast deteriorating as passengers are not allowed out of their windowless cabins.
The ship crew have been spotted wearing masks and gloves when they deliver meals, and thermometers were distributed to passengers and were told to report if they had temperatures over 37.5 Celsius.
Meanwhile a second cruise ship carrying a passenger suspected of infection with the new
coronavirus is headed towards Japan, and authorities said they would ask it to avoid docking.The ship is carrying a total of 4200 passengers and crew.
Four other cruise ships are scheduled to arrive in Japan this month, and would also be asked to turn back if
coronavirus infections are reported on board, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said.
For more updates about the China coronavirus epidemic
5, 255, 255); font-family:open sans,mitr,sans-serif; font-size:14px"> or the Thailand Coronavirus scenario, keep on checking at: https://www.thailandmedical.news/articles/coronavirus
