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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider Coronavirus: South Korea joins other nations planning to evacuate citizens on Diamond Princess

Coronavirus: South Korea joins other nations planning to evacuate citizens on Diamond Princess

Published Feb 18, 2020 12:00 am
By Reuters  South Korea said on Sunday it would evacuate Koreans from a coronavirus-stricken cruise ship being held under quarantine in the Japanese port of Yokohama, after 355 people from it were found to be infected with the virus. FILE PHOTO: 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 FILE PHOTO: 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) “The government plans to bring those Koreans home if they are tested negative from screenings by the Japanese authorities and are willing to return,” Minister of Health and Welfare Park Neung-hoo told a briefing. The Diamond Princess, cruise ship, owned by Carnival Corp, has been quarantined since arriving in Yokohama on February 3, after a man who disembarked in Hong Kong before it travelled to Japan was diagnosed with the virus.

The ship was carrying more than 3,700 passengers and crew from more than 50 countries and territories.

 Hong Kong, the United States, Canada and Italy have said they will send flights to fetch residents from the ship.
“So far, we have conducted tests for 1,219 individuals. Of those, 355 people tested positive,” Kato told a round table discussion for public broadcaster NHK on conditions aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship.

The US was preparing on Sunday to evacuate some of its citizens but said those repatriated will go through another two-week quarantine period at home.

 An on-board announcement late on Sunday said Americans choosing to leave should get ready, according to tweets from passengers.

“Disembarkation will begin at approximately 9pm (1200 GMT),” the announcement said, asking the group to place their luggage outside their cabin doors.

Japan’s Self-Defence Forces will use about 20 buses to transport the evacuees to Tokyo’s Haneda Airport, according to TV Asahi.

Coronavirus: how Diamond Princess became a ‘super spreading’ site
“Based on the high number of Covid-19 cases identified on board the Diamond Princess, the Department of Health and Human Services made an assessment that passengers and crew members on board are at high risk of exposure,” the US embassy said in a letter to its citizens on the boat.

Hong Kong has also said it will offer its 330 city residents on board the chance to take a charter flight back.

Canada announced a similar decision to repatriate its nationals, while Australia and Taiwan are considering such a move, according to local media reports.

Italy said on Sunday it would evacuate citizens from the ship. “We decided yesterday to send a flight and bring those 35 Italians home,” Italy’s Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said on Twitter on Sunday.

Japan has not been able to test all those on board due to limited supplies of testing kits, facilities and manpower, which are also needed by authorities tracking the spread of the virus on land.

But the health ministry said on Saturday that passengers older than 70 are being examined and those testing negative and in good health will be allowed to leave the ship from Wednesday.

Tests on younger passengers were expected to start on Sunday and healthy people will be allowed to get off after Wednesday, it said.

Meanwhile, Japan has seen 53 infections across the nation, including a dozen new cases reported on Saturday and 13 cases among more than 760 Japanese nationals and their relatives repatriated from Wuhan, China, the epicentre of the outbreak.

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