Diamond Princess looking for cleaning, disinfection services amid plans to sail again

Diamond princess which housed hundreds of coronavirus patients is gearing up to sail again, international media reported. According to reports, Princess Cruises which operates the Diamond Princess cruise liner has announced a search for “Best in Class” cleaning and disinfection services in an effort to get the ship operational again. The ship has been quarantined on the Japanese port of Yokahama since weeks now. 

Jan Swartz, president of Princess Cruise, in a public statement, said that their focus continues to be on the safety and well being of their guests and crew. He added that they are seeking the best resources to partner in order to ‘clean and disinfect’ the ship from bow to stern. “To accomplish this critically important undertaking, Princess will engage a vendor that has experience in significant cleaning and disinfection projects," he added. 

The cruise organisation said that cleaning of the ship includes proper disposal of all face, hand and bath towels, bed linens, mattress pads, pillow, duvets, shower curtains and mattresses. It further said that it will also include that disinfection of curtains and other soft furnishings, while its extensive ventilation system will also need cleaning adding that public areas like spa, gym and restaurant also require cleaning. 

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Evacuee tested positive

Meanwhile, another person evacuated from the Diamond Princess cruise ship to Australia has been reportedly tested positive for coronavirus, taking the nationwide toll to seven. According to international media reports, the 57-year-old woman from Queensland will now remain in isolation overnight and will be later transported to her home state on a specialised medical retrieval plane. After being evacuated from the cruise ship, the group of 164 Australians are currently being held at the facility in the Northern Territory as part of the 14-day quarantine period. 

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An evacuation plane from Japan carrying the group of Australians arrived in Darwin on February 20 and since then the health authorities have also confirmed two Victorians and four others, including a woman from Southern Australian, a man from Western Australia and two people from Queensland, positive for the deadly virus. While speaking to an international media outlet, Northern Territory chief medical officer Dianne Stephens said that the authorities will continue to screen every day with a very precautionary approach. Presently, the evacuees from the Diamond Princess cruise ship are in lockdown at a quarantine facility 30 kilometres south-east of Darwin's CBD.