|
 The Diamond Princess was placed in quarantine for two weeks upon
arriving in Yokohama, south of Tokyo, on Feb. 3, after a man who
disembarked in Hong Kong was diagnosed with the virus.
The epidemic originated in mainland China, where more than 1,100
people have now died of the virus.
It is looking like an increasing economic threat for Japan, where
manufacturers are reliant on Chinese companies for parts, and shops
and hotels dependent on Chinese tourists.
About 3,700 people are on board the cruise ship, which usually has a
crew of 1,100 and a passenger capacity of 2,670. Japan's health
ministry said tests were being conducted for others deemed to need
them and it would announce the results later.
The British-flagged Diamond Princess is managed by Princess Cruise
Lines, one of the world's largest cruise lines and a unit of
Carnival Corp <CCL.N>.
Kyodo news agency, citing the health ministry, said that of the 39
cases, 10 were crew and 29 were passengers.
Ten were Japanese nationals and the others were from 11 countries,
including the United States and China. Four were in serious
condition, Health Minister Katsunobu Kato said.
People who test positive for the virus are taken off the ship to a
hospital.
The quarantine officer who was infected had been handing out
questionaires checking the health of passengers and crew since Feb.
3, and had been following rules that require the wearing of a mask
and gloves but not a full protective suit, according to the Nikkei
business daily, quoting the health ministry.
'HIGH RISK'
A health ministry official had no immediate comment, but Nikkei said
the ministry was checking the officer's contacts with colleagues and
family members.
Mark Kortepeter, a professor of epidemiology at the University of
Nebraska Medical Center, said that although it was hard to reach
conclusions based on limited information, the ship infections
pointed to an "agent that is highly transmissible," at least in
enclosed environments.
[to top of second column] |
"The infected quarantine officer probably indicates the high risk,
even for individuals who are trying to protect themselves, because
the virus is unforgiving and there is no room for error in use of
personal protective equipment and hand hygiene," he said. "A small
number of virus particles is likely needed to infect, making it an
efficient spreader."
The Japanese government has decided on a 500 billion yen ($4.5
billion) emergency package of loans and guarantees to help small
businesses, particularly in tourism and smaller manufacturers, the
Nikkei newspaper reported.
S&P Global Ratings said the outbreak would likely cause "damage" to
operating performances of Japanese companies in the first half,
especially automobile manufacturers that are likely to face a
prolonged halt in plant operations in China.
"The impact might be harsh on Nissan Motor and Honda Motor," the
rating agency said in a note.
The government was considering allowing elderly and those with
chronic illnesses to disembark from the Diamond Princess before the
Feb. 19 target date for the end of quarantine, some media reported.
About 80% of the passengers were aged 60 or over, with 215 in their
80s and 11 in the 90s, the Japan Times newspaper reported.
Japan has sent four chartered flights to China's Hubei province, the
epicentre of the outbreak, for its citizens there to return, and
plans a fifth. The 197 people who returned on the first chartered
flight were found to have tested negative, the health ministry said.
(INTERACTIVE GRAPHIC: Tracking the spread of the coronavirus from
China - https://graphics.reuters.com/CHINA-HEALTH-MAP/0100B59S39E/index.html)
(Reporting by Chris Gallagher, Ju-min Park, Ami Miyazaki, Elaine
Lies and David Dolan; Writing by Linda Sieg; Editing by Stephen
Coates, Kenneth Maxwell, Gerry Doyle and Raju Gopalakrishnan)
[© 2020 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2020 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content. |
