Diamond Princess has become the second-largest point of concentration of coronavirus

As of Thursday at the Yokohama port of Japan, the Diamond Princess cruise ship has finished its 14-day quarantine to prevent the coronavirus spreading beyond the ship.

Since February 5th, with a total of 3500 people on board, 634 people on the cruise ship have tested positive for the coronavirus. Outside of China, the Diamond Princess has held the highest number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus in one area.

All of the affected people were immediately moved to health centers and facilities to watch over and help them while other passengers and crew remain on board unless they test positive for the coronavirus or until the 14-day quarantine is lifted.

Guests were all provided with meals in their room via delivery and entertainment is available in forms of magazines and TV. If any guests wanted fresh air, they could walk outside for a few minutes while keeping a distance of 6 feet away from other passengers. All members aboard the cruise ship are also provided with masks, hand sanitizers, and thermometers. 

The thermometers help to reduce the spread by quickly showing medical staff who has potentially caught the virus.

Guests were also provided alcohol wipes to lessen transmission from one person to another.

While many guests were comfortable and isolated, the crew below the deck were very concerned and reached out to their government. 

All 1000 members of the crew must share their meals, rooms, and bathrooms. These conditions have helped the virus to spread. 

While one unidentified crew member has reached out to the Indian government and Princess Cruises to get him off the cruise, he has not gotten a reply. 

The Japanese government has stated they would do their best to accommodate the needs of the people aboard the ship. A crew member also shared the Japanese government had sent a volunteer medical staff of about 145.
Though passengers have been provided with tools to lessen the transmission, they remain at risk of contracting the ever-spreading virus. As John B. Lynch, an associate professor of infectious diseases at the University of Washington said, “We have to remember that quarantines protect those outside the quarantine, not those within.”

Cover Image Credit to: Alpsdake/ Wikimedia