Princess Cruises says a Canadian is among an additional 66 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship docked in the Japanese port city of Yokohama. That brings the total number infected to 135. The cruise line’s executive vice president Rai Caluori said on the weekend the situation was “unbelievably stressful and challenging for guests and crew.”
“It’s not an experience I would wish upon anyone.”
The Canadian passenger’s positive test results were confirmed by the Japanese Ministry of Health having reported that it is following the ministry’s “disembarkation protocols to provide medical care for these new cases.”
This latest case raises to eight the number of Canadians aboard the Diamond Princess who have contracted the new virus. The patient will join the seven other Canadians who were earlier taken to Japanese hospitals for treatment and monitoring.
Calouri outlined the measures being taken while the ship Diamond Princess is in quarantine
Passengers are being provided with three meals a day, free wifi and telephone calls, additional increased internet bandwidth and enhanced TV channels.
In addition, passengers are being offered telephone mental health counselling.
All guests will receive a full refund, including flights, tips and excursions, plus a cruise credit for a future sailing.
The federal government said Sunday that it was monitoring the well-being of 285 Canadians quarantined on the Diamond Princess and another cruise ship anchored off Hong Kong, however, health officials have given the Hong Kong ship the all clear, allowing passengers and crew to disembark.
Meanwhile, Canada’s chief public health officer, Dr. Theresa Tam, said in a statement Sunday that none of the 213 evacuees from Wuhan, China (the epicentre of the outbreak) who are quarantined at Canadian Forces Base Trenton, Ont., have exhibited any symptoms of the virus.
Foreign Affairs Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne, who is travelling with Prime Minister Trudeau in Africa, said a second plane left Trenton, Ont., early Sunday morning to bring home more Canadians who have asked to return from China.
“The plane would be leaving (China) on the 10th of February, bringing back the last group of Canadians who want to be repatriated on the 11th,” Champagne said.
There are 236 Canadians waiting to board the plane from a city that has been under quarantine for weeks as Chinese authorities try to contain the virus’s spread, Canadian officials said Sunday.
Most cases of the new coronavirus are mild, but the respiratory illness can be deadly in some people.