TSR Health: Roommates, fourteen people who were evacuated from the Diamond Princess crime ship in Yokohama, Japan have reportedly tested positive for coronavirus.
According to CNN, the evacuees have been flown back to the United States on charter flights, and they were among 300 people removed from the ship. A joint statement from the US Departments of State an Health and Human Services said the passengers had been tested two or three days before the ship was evacuated.
“After consultation with HHS officials, including experts from the HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, the State Department made the decision to allow the 14 individuals, who were in isolation, separated from other passengers and continued to be asymptomatic, to remain on the aircraft to complete the evacuation process,” the statement said.
The passenger who tested positive were reportedly isolated from the other passengers during the flights, and were being closely monitored throughout. after the flights land any passengers that developed symptoms o the flights were transported to “an appropriate location for continued isolation and care.”
Some passengers made the decision that they did not want to take the chance of being evacuated, fearing they they would possibly become infected with the virus. Matthew Smith, a Sacramento resident aboard the ship, said he would rather everything be dealt with in Japan.
“We decided we would just face whatever consequences here rather than exposing ourselves to that situation,” Matthew told CNN. “It kind of didn’t make any sense if the U.S. was fearful that these were infected people which is why they’re going to quarantine them for another two weeks to have thrown them all together.”
As of now, authorities are unsure how many cases of coronavirus are impacted U.S. citizens. But stay with us for updates, Roomies!
