U.S. to Begin Evacuating Americans From Coronavirus-Stricken Cruise Ship as First European Fatality Reported
CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images
The United States has announced that American passengers aboard the now-quarantined Diamond Princess will be evacuated and flown home, even as the first European fatality from the Wuhan coronavirus was reported Saturday.
The United States government has notified the approximately 400 American passengers aboard the ship — currently quarantined in Japan — that they must evacuate the ship or risk being barred entry to the United States for an undetermined period of time, according to ABC News:
A letter from the U.S. Embassy Tokyo was sent to passengers on the ship Friday, informing them that they’ll have the opportunity to leave the ship soon.
“This is a dynamic situation. We are deeply grateful to the cruise line and government of Japan for working diligently to contain and control the spread of the illness,” the U.S. letter to cruise ship passengers said. “However, to fulfill our government’s responsibilities to U.S. citizens under our rules and practices, as well as to reduce the burden on the Japanese healthcare system, the U.S. government recommends, out of an abundance of caution, that U.S. citizens disembark and return to the United States for further monitoring.”
Once the aircraft arrive, passengers and their belongings will be bused from the ship to the planes. There, passengers will be screened for symptoms to see if they are able to fly home or must remain in Japan.
“We are working with our Japanese partners to ensure that any symptomatic passengers receive the required care in Japan if they cannot board the flight,” the letter said.
Once in the country, passengers will be quarantined for 14 days.
This news comes as the first European fatality from coronavirus was reported in France Saturday:
“I was informed last night of the death of the 80-year-old patient who had been hospitalized at the Bichât hospital (Paris) since Jan. 25, and who had a coronavirus pulmonary infection,” French Health Minister Agnès Buzyn said at a press conference Saturday morning. “He had been hospitalized at Bichât hospital with strict isolation … His condition had deteriorated rapidly and he had been in critical condition for several days in intensive care.”
Buzyn said the victim’s daughter was also admitted, but her health isn’t cause for concern and she should be released soon. France, Buzyn said, has 11 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the country.
“We must prepare our health system to face a possible pandemic diffusion of the virus and, therefore a circulation of the virus on the national territory,” she said.
President Donald Trump has said he hopes the virus clears up when the weather gets warmer.
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