The number of cruise ship passengers and crew members who have tested positive for coronavirus on Diamond Princess has reached 70.
Diamond Princess is currently in quarantine off the coast of Japan until February 19, 2020. The latest update from Princess Cruises stated that there were six new cases of coronavirus onboard the cruise ship that included several crew members.
Separately, over the past two days, ten guests were disembarked needing other medical (not for Coronavirus) and were transferred to local hospitals. Information on nationalities of these new guests will be forth coming.
Jan Swartz, President of Princess Cruises, gave the following statement: “Our guests and crew onboard Diamond Princess are the focus of our entire global organization right now and all of our hearts are with each of them. In this unprecedented situation, the Japanese Ministry of Health authorities are working with us collaboratively on additional enhancements, approving new procedures as we adapt our process to the unique challenges of this situation.”
The team on board Diamond Princess, supported by our shoreside colleagues, is actively working to care for the guests to ensure their comfort and well-being. These are such unusual circumstances so the team has activated new in-room entertainment offerings which include:
- Eight (8) new satellite TV channels
- More than 80 new video-on-demand releases, including movies in various languages, concerts and in-cabin fitness videos
- Cruise Director Show (The Wake Show) in English and Japanese
- Printed newspapers in 36 languages
- Pre-printed trivia, daily puzzles, games and arts and crafts
- Radio Taiso (popular calisthenics) videos
- Kids’ activity packs
- Food & beverage options offered via room service
- Outdoor time for guests in interior staterooms (under the guidance of Japanese Ministry of Health)
In partnership with the Japan Ministry of Health the ship has received additional medications which are being sorted and distributed based on medical and urgent priority.
The cruise line continues to look for the most effective ways to help keep guests healthy, which includes mental health. Telephone access has been arranged for guests experiencing mental stress with trained counselors who can provide support. Both English and Japanese-speaking counselors are available, and guests can call directly from their staterooms.
