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Thousands of people are being quarantined on a Japanese cruise ship after 21 people on it tested positive. Here's what it's like inside.
Thousands of people are being quarantined on a Japanese cruise ship after 21 people on it tested positive. Here's what it's like inside.
Sophia Ankel,Sophia AnkelFeb 6, 2020, 20:49 IST
Thousands of people on the Diamond Princess, a Japanese cruise liner, are being quarantined for two weeks after 21 people who had been on the ship tested positive for the Wuhan coronavirus.
An 80-year-old man, who disembarked in Hong Kong on January 25, was tested positive for the coronavirus. After the ship returned to Japan this Monday, 20 more cases have been found.
While the infected passengers have been taken to be treated in hospitals, those remaining are being given health screenings and have been ordered to stay inside their rooms.
The onboard casino, shops, and the photo studio have been shut, and passengers are getting food delivered to their rooms instead of being able to eat in restaurants.
Scroll down to see photos showing what life on the deserted cruise liner is like.
A total of 21 people who had traveled on the Diamond Princess, a cruise ship currently quarantined near Tokyo, have now been found with the deadly Wuhan coronavirus.
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An 80-year-old man, who disembarked in Hong Kong on January 25, was tested positive on January 31. When the ship returned to Japan's Yokohama port on Monday, it was immediately quarantined by health authorities, who have been screening people since then.
Meanwhile, passengers are documenting their experience on the ship. They are not allowed to leave their cabins, and are relying on room service for food and other amenities.
Take a look at pictures inside the quarantined cruise ship:
Twenty-one people who had traveled on the Diamond Princess on its round trip from Yokohama to Hong Kong have now tested positive for coronavirus.
The infected passengers include three Americans, seven Japanese, two Australians, two Canadians, one New Zealander, one Taiwanese citizen, and three Hong Kong citizens, cruise operator Princess Cruises said.
A crew member from the Philippines is also sick. They have all been taken off the ship and into hospitals in Japan.
The nationality of the 80-year-old who disembarked in Hong Kong in late January is not known.
Japanese authorities began its 14-day quarantine of the ship earlier this week. Passengers have been ordered to stay inside their cabins this whole time.
Here's what a three-bed cabin in the ship looks like — but not all the rooms look like this.
One passenger on the ship, David Abel, told The Washington Post that he believes he is lucky that he is spending the quarantine in a room that has a balcony.
Many passengers in cheaper rooms don't even have windows that can see outside, he said.
"Can you imagine? It would be like being locked in a wardrobe, wouldn't it?" he said. "No fresh air. No natural light. It really must be living hell for them."
Since restaurants and cafes on the ship have been closed, passengers have to rely on room service to bring them food every day.
Alan and Wendy Steel, two honeymooners who spoke to The Post, said they were offered stale bread and ham for lunch, which is "a far cry from the meals that had been offered throughout the cruise."
Not everyone is complaining, though. Another passenger, Yardley Wong, tweeted a photo of boiled eggs, fruit, and cereal, saying: "Healthy. But I need coffee so bad."
Once-thriving common areas on the ship, like the bar, appear to be empty.
Passengers haven't been able to interact with each other except by leaning over their balconies to talk with people in adjacent rooms, according to The Japan Times.
The casino has also been shut down.
It's not entirely clear what the other activities available are for passengers stuck on the ship.
Wong, one of the passengers on board, posted a picture of crayons and children's toys provided to her son by cruise staff to help pass the time.
The auditorium, which usually offers entertainment for thousands of passengers, has also been emptied.
Guests will, however, continue to be provided with complimentary internet and telephone so they can stay in contact with the outside world, the cruise operator said.
Other entertainment venues like this nightclub have also been shut down.
Despite the shutting down of many facilities, the ship crew has vowed to keep all guests comfortable.
Even the outside pool area, usually teeming with children, was deserted.
The grand main reception also looks as if it has been completely abandoned.
The Diamond Princess is one of two cruise ships currently under quarantine over the coronavirus.
The second ship, the World Dream, is docked in Hong Kong and has more than 3,600 passengers and crew aboard.
As of Wednesday night, 33 crew members on the World Dream are said to have developed "upper respiratory tract infection symptoms," and three of them were sent to the hospital after developing a fever, Hong Kong's Department of Health said.
Meanwhile, the ship's crew has been disinfecting public facilities as much as possible.
Cruise ship officials said the ship would go on with many of its usual marine operations, including the production of fresh water, the LA Times cited officials as saying.
Heavily-protected medical workers have been working in deserted hallways in between testing people for the coronavirus.
Passengers and crew on the ship are being given frequent health screenings, with those with symptoms further tested for coronavirus.
The cruise operator has already announced that it will also be canceling the next two Diamond Princess cruises departing Yokohama and that guests will get full refunds.
While having the coronavirus onboard the Diamond Princess is far from ideal, the liner is more than equipped to handle the outbreak, industry experts have told Business Insider.
