Coronavirus Update: Americans Aboard Quarantined Diamond Princess Cruise Ship To Be Evacuated

The U.S. State Department announced its plan to evacuate American citizens and their families aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship, the Wall Street Journal reported, Friday.

The cruise ship, with more than 3,700 crew and passengers, has been quarantined in Yokohama, Japan for nearly two weeks already since many of its passengers were tested positive with the novel coronavirus or COVID-19. Those who were diagnosed with the virus have been disembarked from the ship to the hospital.

Reports suggested that there are, approximately, 380 people who will be evacuated from Japan back to the U.S. using two chartered planes. The evacuees are expected to arrive in America on Sunday.

U.S.’s Centers of Disease Control and Prevention and Japan’s foreign and health ministries have yet to comment on the said report.

Meanwhile, on Monday, Indian members of the Diamond Princess crew asked for help from the Indian government and claimed that they were not separated out from the infected individuals.

“We are extremely scared at this point in time. Our request is to segregate the crew members from the infected. Only people who are recording temperatures higher than 37.5 degree Celsius are being checked. If Japan cannot take stock of the situation, please ask for assistance. The United Nations and government of India should intervene as soon as possible and help segregate us,” Binay Kumar Sarkar shared in a clip obtained by CNN.

“Please help save those who have not been infected yet. There are 160 Indian crew members and 8 Indian passengers onboard. Please rescue us. Help evacuate us before we contract the virus. 90% of us are healthy as of now. I appeal to India’s Prime Minister Modi, please bring us home safe and sound,” he went on.

The Embassy of India in Tokyo, Japan announced, Friday, that there were three Indian crew members infected with the virus and that all have been taken to hospitals for further treatment and quarantine. Officials added that they are communicating with the Japanese authorities to ensure the well-being of the infected Indian nationals. The Embassy, also, shared the Japanese government announced that passengers age 80 and above will be given the option to be taken off the ship should they test negative for COVID-19.