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."
Source: Business Insider
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."
#day2 #quarantine in #diamondprincess #breakfastinbed healthy. But I need coffee so bad. First coffee after #outbreak #coronavirus #fightcoronavirus pic.twitter.com/5xjihcfi8I
— Yardley Wong (@yardley_wong)
February 6, 2020
next slide will load in 15 secondsSkip AdSkip AdOnce-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.
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.
Even the outside pool area, usually teeming with children, was deserted.
next slide will load in 15 secondsSkip AdSkip AdThe 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.
Heavily-protected medical workers have been working in deserted hallways in between testing people for the coronavirus.
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.