The evacuation began Wednesday of a cruise ship quarantined after an outbreak of new coronavirus COVID-19, with several hundred passengers who had tested negative being allowed to leave the ship, The Japan Times says.
About 500 individuals, most of them elderly, disembarked from the Diamond Princess on Wednesday. Many of them took chartered buses provided by the city to Yokohama Station, while others hailed taxis or were collected by family members. Those that chose to leave by foot were quickly surrounded by members of the press.
The Diamond Princess — which had departed from Yokohama for a 16-day trip with stops in Japan, Hong Kong, Vietnam and Taiwan before its return — was carrying more than 3,700 passengers and crew when it made port about two weeks ago.
The vessel was placed under a 14-day quarantine after reports that an 80-year-old man who disembarked in Hong Kong had tested positive for COVID-19. Passengers were asked to remain in their rooms, where crew brought them food and supplies.
All passengers who have tested negative for the virus are slated to leave the ship between Wednesday and Friday.
But as of Tuesday, a day before the quarantine was lifted, 88 new cases of infection were reported on board the ship, bringing the total to 542 confirmed cases, according to the BBC.
Several countries have sent chartered flights to evacuate their nationals from the Diamond Princess. Most evacuated foreign nationals will be isolated for another 14 days upon arrival in their country of origin.
Japanese passengers who disembark the Diamond Princess will not be isolated in any way. On Wednesday, several individuals said they had been encouraged by the health ministry to carry on with life as usual, according to The Japan Times.
