By Hanah Tabios
The repatriation of hundreds of Filipinos aboard the coronavirus-stricken Diamond Princess cruise ship that is currently docked in Japan’s port of Yokohama has been set on Tuesday, February 25, according to Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin, Jr.
A passenger wearing a mask stands on the deck of the cruise ship Diamond Princess, as the vessel's passengers continue to be tested for coronavirus, at Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal in Yokohama, south of Tokyo, Japan February 13, 2020. (REUTERS / Kim Kyung-Hoon / File Photo / MANILA BULLETIN)
Locsin made the announcement in a tweet Sunday following the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Disease (IATF-EID) deferment on the supposed initial schedule of repatriation on Sunday, February 23, to allow Japanese health authorities to complete the laboratory testing of the Filipino crew members and comply with the quarantine protocols.
He said all Filipinos have already been tested, but the results have yet to be released.
“Those found positive have been hospitalized,” he said while expressing deep gratitude to the Japanese government.
“So far, 25 Feb is repatriation day,” he added.
The health department had earlier said that around 460 to 480 Filipinos aboard the cruise ship have requested to return to the country amid the global health scare.
The cruise ship M/V Diamond Princess has over 600 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus out of the 3,700 passengers and crew members.
As of press time, 52 Filipinos from the coronavirus-stricken ship tested positive for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), of whom one has already recovered.
READ MORE: Infected Filipino crew of Diamond Princess recovers