Coronavirus claims lives of two passengers from Diamond Princess, Japan defends quarantine

The Diamond Princess cruise liner quarantined in Japan reported its first fatalities. Two passengers who were onboard the quarantined ship have died after being diagnosed with COVID-19. The news was announced by Japan’s health ministry on Thursday. The victims — an 87-year-old man and an 84-year-old woman — reportedly with underlying health conditions, were among more than 620 passengers who contracted the disease while on board the Diamond Princess.

Japan defends its decision to quarantine passengers

Amid the news of Diamond Princess deaths, Japanese officials have reportedly justified their decision to keep all 3,700 passengers and crew quarantined on the cruise ship for more than two weeks in an attempt to contain the outbreak.

More than 620 people on board the Diamond Princess have tested positive for COVID-19. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Japan's efforts to contain the virus have not been sufficient. On the other hand, reports indicate that the National Institute of Infectious Diseases in Tokyo released an analysis where it claimed that the majority of the infections occurred before the quarantine took effect and the new cases, the ones caused by secondary transitions, were confined mainly to the crew, members, government officials and health workers not subject to the same restrictions as the passengers.

Read: First Batch Of Passengers From Japan's Cruise Ship Arrive In Hong Kong

Diamond Princess accounts for more than half of cases outside China

The infected on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship account for more than half of all the cases outside mainland China, the World Health Organization had said on Wednesday. Reportedly, a Japanese infectious disease specialist Kentaro Iwata has criticized the way the government has handled the crisis in Diamond Princess. In a YouTube video, Iwata decried abysmal hygiene conditions in the ship “violating all infection control principles”. His claims had inflamed an already intense debate over Japan’s handling of the crisis.

In a statement released by the Japanese health ministry, the government defended its actions aboard the Diamond Princess and also listed the extensive measure it had taken to stop the spread of Coronavirus. The ministry in its statement said that the crew has been instructed to wear a mask and gloves at all time, wash their hands at regular intervals and ensuring that they eat their meals at a safe distance from one another.

Read: Buses With Passengers From Cruise Ship Leave Port

A steep drop in infections reported in Hubei

Reports indicate that there has been a steep drop in infections reported in Hubei province after Chinese government said it was changing the way it classifies confirmed cases of the virus. Reports further state that there were only 349 cases of infections as compared to 1,693 the previous day. This was the largest drop in new confirmed cases since January 25.

The officially reported number of deaths due to COVID-19 stands at 2,118 in mainland China.

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Read: Cruise Ship Evacuees Face Quarantine In Australia