Coronavirus: Govt confirms Diamond Princess evacuation flight
James ChappleDozens of Britons trapped onboard a Princess Cruises ship quarantined off the coast of Japan amid the ongoing coronavirus outbreak will be brought home shortly, the government has said.
Foreign secretary Dominic Raab confirmed on Thursday (20 February) an “evacuation flight” would depart Tokyo on Friday (21 February). It is understood there are more than 70 British guests onboard the ship.
David and Sally Abel though, who have become the faces of the many Britons onboard Diamond Princess with their frequent video updates, are not expected to return to the UK on Friday after contracting the Covid-19 coronavirus.
According to the BBC, only those showing no signs of illness following their two-week quarantine onboard Diamond Princess will be allowed to travel. Those returning on the government flight will be quarantined again upon their return.
The ship was placed in quarantine on 5 February after a guest, who disembarked in Hong Kong, tested positive for the infection.
More than 600 people onboard have now contracted the illness. Diamond Princess set off from Yokohama in Japan with 2,666 guests and 1,045 crew onboard before it was quarantined.
On Thursday, Japanese authorities confirmed two Diamond Princess guests had died from the infection. Both were in their 80s and had underlying health conditions the BBC reports, citing local Japanese media.
“We’ve organised an evacuation flight for British nationals onboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship to depart Tokyo on Friday,” said Raab. “Details have been sent to those who have registered for the flight. We urge other British nationals still seeking to leave to contact”
Raab added: “We will continue to support British nationals who wish to stay in Japan.”
A Princess Cruises spokesperson said: “Approximately 600 guests onboard Diamond Princess were the first to be cleared by the Japanese Ministry of Health and released to disembark the ship yesterday [Wednesday].
“Several hundred other guests are expected to be cleared today [Thursday] by health officials.”
Guests disembarking the ship have been met personally at Yokohama cruise terminal by Princess Cruises president Jan Swartz.
Our President, Jan Swartz, is back in Japan greeting medically cleared guests as they disembark #DiamondPrincess. pic.twitter.com/IozslCxie2
— Princess Cruises (@PrincessCruises) February 19, 2020
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