Published 08:09 IST, February 21st 2020
Coronavirus: Quarantined Diamond Princess to set sail soon after thorough cleaning
Despite having housed more than half of the world's Coronavirus cases outside China, cruise liner Diamond Princess is already preparing to set sail in April.
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Despite having housed more than half of the world's Coronavirus cases outside China, the previously quarantined cruise liner Diamond Princess will resume service again soon. According to reports, the cruise ship plans to set sail again as early as April 29 after undergoing thorough cleaning.
To sail after a thorough cleaning
Reports have indicated that the cruise ship's operator, Princess Cruise wants the ship to be operational in time for Japan's Golden Week holidays. According to the statement by the company, the cruise ship will be fully sanitized, after which it will be taken to a dry dock for an undisclosed period of time.
On Thursday, 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 onboard the Diamond Princess.
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.
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.
08:09 IST, February 21st 2020