66 more people confirmed with coronavirus on cruise ship in Yokohama

Ship will soon be empty as they transport all the sick off to another quarantined location on land. Then they can convert the ship into a hospital and transport everyone back.

What?The number has just increased again within a few hours?And the ministry of health seems clueless?Guys,prepare for the longhaul.

Are they seriously gonna let everyone get infected with the virus? Disembark the passengers already!

At this point they should consider repatriating all the foreign non residents to their respective countries regardless of whether or not they are sick. Let their respective governments charter a plane and a bus to take them to their respective planes and fly them home. Keeping them there is wrong and may cause more infections of otherwise healthy people- not to mention the cabin fever that's bound to set in.

Various countries, including japan, got their citizens out from Wuhan and chartered them home. I don't understand why they don't do the same thing here.

The Chinese government has said that the virus is transmitted through the air (aerolisation) as well as touching and close bodily proximity to those infected.

However, no deaths have occurred in Japan which shows that the medical workers are doing a terrific job!

Disturbing but hardly surprising news. The poor passengers aboard will be now forced to stay on until at least late February (but likely into March if more people are tested to be infected through this week). This is a crisis and Im not sure the always stretched public hospitals in Japan can cope.

Is on land quarantining (with on site hospital ) now an option? I just hope the passengers aboard can somehow keep their spirits up.

I think the Government needs to start taking swabs around the ship to see if there's any contamination around the ship, especially those on the balcony. Won't be surprised if someone's cough is getting onto someone else's balcony due to the strong winds. When i see the people out on the balcony, beside each other divided by only a partition feels like a possible vector for infection.

As to letting everyone offboard, i don't think there's space in Japan to quarantine 3600 people. With that said Japan really needs to start thinking ahead and build quarantine centers to prepare for the worse.

Various countries, including japan, got their citizens out from Wuhan and chartered them home. I don't understand why they don't do the same thing here.

Simple, in Japanese musugashii! No one will act, so no can be blamed for the failure. I mean one guy committed suicide when the first cases arrived in Japan, and he was simply watching people. Unless that person was murdered, it shows how ill-equipped Japan is to handle surprises. It is why I personally fear having a serious accident and need an ambulance.

Japan and the culture in general are not good at making immediate decisive choices.

The Chinese government has said that the virus is transmitted through the air (aerolisation) as well as touching and close bodily proximity to those infected.

However, no deaths have occurred in Japan which shows that the medical workers are doing a terrific job!

Nothing so far has proven that Japan is doing a terrific job!

It may mean that since so few are infected in Japan, its resource have not been taxed or tested. In China, it is reported that over 40,000 are infected, and the numbers are rising. Hopefully, it won't get that serious here, but until Japan reaches some dangerous numbers, we don't know if Japan knows what it is doing, or it simply luck.

I think that is the later at the moment.

Are they seriously gonna let everyone get infected with the virus? Disembark the passengers already!

And where will they go? They are in a perfect quarantine environment already.

139 positives now out of 336 tested. (Worrying numbers, especially for hospitals, but in line with expectations, based on there being 10 positives within the first 31 set of test results, if you think about it.)

I'll be watching to see how things look once they finally start testing everyone on board - something the Ministry is discussing.

I wonder if today's big number was impacting by labs and Communication department staff being off for the weekend. The MHWL press release page didn't have any status updates over the weekend, and won't have the Monday update until tomorrow (another holiday).

Did the ship dock somewhere in China?  How did the virus get on board?  Looks to me like these folks better get used to life on the ocean waves.

Maybe it'll be like being arrested - each new case will bring an additonal 14 days of quarantine, whether you're sick or not.

Unlikely. People being diagnosed today were infected about two weeks ago. However, those on board are now basically in isolation and unlikely that anyone could infect others.

And where will they go? They are in a perfect quarantine environment already.

Not exactly! People are still bringing the passengers food and supplies. One slip up and another person is infected and another. Also, if cabin fever sets in then passengers might stop following the instructions of the officials; thus, infecting others in the process of trying to leave.

The Chinese government has said that the virus is transmitted through the air (aerolisation) as well as touching and close bodily proximity to those infected.

If this is true, it might possibly travel throughout the ventilation system on the ship as it mutates! Eventually reaching everyone. The people need t

probably resets the clock every time. More room service then. Pass the Grey Poupon

There is nothing they can do about the hygiene of the ship. This is being recirculated through the ventilation system. Regardless of the hygiene conditions the virus will be spread around. You cannot just shut off this system as you need to circulate "fresh" air to decks below. These poor people. This unlike an aircraft which has HEPA filtration systems for circulated air.

The next plan of action needs to be to establish a land based location to take these people to such as a naval based with a hospital or clinic.

I would not want to be stuck on that ship nor would I want to have to figure out the next moves.

"We are considering testing, if possible, all those over 80 years old who are in ill health," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said

Why not consider testing ALL people on board who are now in ill health?

I can't imagine the amount of stress quarantined passengers would be experiencing as this plays out. If the pathogen truly is airborne, the number of infections could end up being in the thousands.

Evans. What you say is a very credible possibility. A ship is the absolute last place I would want to be in this situation.

They need to get them to land based quarantine ASAP

Maybe it'll be like being arrested - each new case will bring an additonal 14 days of quarantine, whether you're sick or not.

Welcome to the Hotel California...

Step up your games. Everyone on this ship is going to be sick. Florence Nightingale is like, "Did you not listen to anything I said???"

Japan is doing a good job? what? at covering up? The rules for testing so restrictive that there's absolutely no way for the Japanese government or anyone to identify at an early phase of any small clusters of spread, because even until today, testing and all related services are strictly limited to people who had physically been to Hubei province or can prove without a doubt that they are in contact with someone who is infectious from Hubei province.

If there's local H2H spread in Japan, no one will know until there's millions of cases and tens of thousands of death, as no one would be tested or diagnosed, and Japan gets to keep their "confirmed" cases low for the economy.

Im confused. The ship in HK that was quarantined, disembarked after 4 days. They were able to test 3600 people in 4 days. Did they not test everyone correctly? Seems like Japan can do this if they wanted to, but are choosing to make everyone wait until probably March? I guess Japan is not bothering to do tests, and just waiting to test only after someone gets sick? If that is the case, then it sucks to be on that boat, because you might not be sick yet, but you will be the longer you stay on it.

This is a U.S-owned cruise ship full of international passengers which was sailing in international and foreign waters when the virus was introduced to it. The fact that it's tied up in Yokohama shouldn't mean that the Japanese govt is solely responsible for the passengers. Has any assistance been offered by other governments, particularly the USA?

I don't know exactly, but I'm fairly sure it isn't the USA preventing these people from leaving a floating petri dish.

Wow, that jumped! Reports are that the virus is now airborne. Of course, I’m still hearing people here deny the virus is spreading in Japan as though it’s an issue of national pride, so expect the number to quadruple by Valentine’s. Take care, people

Just look at BigYen, for example — “it’s all the US’ fault!!

This is a U.S-owned cruise ship full of international passengers which was sailing in international and foreign waters when the virus was introduced to it.

The ship is British owned and there's not much they can do to help. Flying people out would only increase the risk of spread and the Japanese seemed to have things handled with regards to caring for the I'll. The one thing they could donis get them off that ship an into a proper quarantine facility. I'm betting that virus is being spread via the HVAC. Ships are not meant for quarantine.

@BigYen - I am American and you have a very valid point. I did not read ths as you saying that this is all the US' fault. I actually have the same opinion.

What I think the U.S. should do is offer space on one of the Naval or Marine bases (such as Sasebo, Iwakuni, or in Okinawa) where the passengers can be properly quarantined on land. These bases are on Japanese territory so Japan could also apply pressure.

There should absolutely be an international effort to resolve this. It is in everyone's best interest. It would also require cooperation of Japanese authorities as well to allow people to work together on this.

Diamond plague ship, doesn't have that ambience ring to it. Like the Black Death Princess. It's certainly a rather vicious virus hope it's soon manageable. Rather be on a cruse ship then a humid detention centre at the end. Just don't know where or how that end might be.

so are they really gonna take care of all? just revoke its permit and send it to international waters

repatriating all the foreign non residents to their respective countries regardless of whether or not they are sick.

It's already complicated to repatriate people not sick, there is no way that people with serious respiratory symptoms take a flight any time soon, that would simply kill most.

What I think the U.S. should do is offer space on one of the Naval or Marine bases

No need. Japan has more space on land than the US bases (that are inhabited by families), but they chose to quarantine on board due to conveniency. Well, some other ships have been luckier as everybody tested negative and quarantine was lifted quickly. Not this one...

This unlike an aircraft which has HEPA filtration systems for circulated air.

How do you know they don't have HEPA ? It's a luxury boat, not the ferries you take to go to Shanghai or Pusan. There are less people per volume than in a plane or subway. I doubt they have the worst conditions about airborne virus. But before the alert, they were all sharing pools, ofuro, sento...surely some doing cuddles to other passengers, so they had plenty of opportunities to share viruses.

no need to bring anyone on land... use some uninhabited island

It's just one big floating viral incubator...expect more and more cases. But big difference between those testing positive (carrier) and those showing clinical symptoms (severe pneumonia and breathing difficulties.

just revoke its permit and send it to international waters

So where do all the sick go when some develop pneumonia? Leave them to fend for themselves and die on the ocean? Only rogue nations would act this way.

Clearly all on this vessel will have to be tested, peoples 14day quarantine is being re-set EVERY DAY now due to their confined situation.

Does anyone know how long it takes to do one test...…. Not sure I have heard on this, my guess is it takes a while or surely they would just quickly test everyone....anyone out there know more on this aspect...

@Coskuri. Here is an article that touches on the HVAC systems on ships. Unfortunately the current state of the art is periodic cleaning.

https://www.goodway.com/hvac-blog/2012/07/clean-hvac-systems-prevent-virus-outbreaks-on-cruise-ships/

Technically it would be very expensive and quit a challenge. Also would require much more energy to pump the air through the resistance of the filter.

Many countries, including Japan and the US, have flown their citizens out of China and back home, to be quarantined there. Why not do that with the passengers on this cruise ship, at least those who do not yet test positive for the virus? Given the high number of infected on board the Diamond Princess, it appears that something is causing people to become infected, whether it is the ventilation system, or crew members, or something else.

One Chinese person with coronavirus.. 3,600 people on a ship.

How many people are invited to the Tokyo Olympics?

The reason they haven't tested everyone aboard so far is that it wouldn't bring anything. The current tasing (as of 6 days ago) used PCR (polymerase chain reaction) based testing that takes several very careful hours to prepare for each sample and is known to be prone to false negatives if there is insufficient viral material in the sample. Pretty much every country is following advice by testing people only when they show signs of illness to be sure there are detectable quantities of pathogen. There are faster, more sensitive tests in design but making enough of them and distributing them will take more than a couple of days and you can be sure whichever big-pharma corp invents it will not be giving it out for free.

The Chinese government has said that the virus is transmitted through the air (aerolisation) as well as touching and close bodily proximity to those infected

This changes everything! It's no longer quarantining passengers, it's confining them to a highly risky environment.

Whoever that made the decision to confine the passengers now has to answer to their lawyers in the near future.

What I don't get is how the Italian cruiseliner can test passengers and facilitated orderly disembarking of uninfected passengers whilst this ship seems to be doing the opposite.

Being kept on this ship is turning into a 1 in 100 death sentence.

And another day of wondering where Pooh Bear Xi is. Also another day of remembering a hero Chinese doctor named Li Wenliang.

The cowards in China’s CCP are trying to erase his memory (see link) so I’m committed to unerase whenever I can

https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/akwkbz/china-is-erasing-tributes-to-coronavirus-whistleblower-doctor-li-wenliang

The coward Pooh Bear hides another day.

The simple test is the temperature of the forehead, the longer test is grow the culture from a sample from the throat.

But

you can have flu, pass it on and show no symptoms for two weeks.

This is indeed a PANDEMIC

Out of curiosity, but are the people on the cruise technically "in" Japan? Have they gone through immigration, or are they in a form of transit stage like in an airport (remember the Tom Hanks movie 'The Terminal')?

By not having them as "entered" into the country, this would technically reduce the responsibility of the Japanese government, and put much of the onus on the cruise company owners. Or at least, wouldn't it remove the "rights" of the passengers, which would otherwise be afforded to anyone legally in Japan?

If they got their money back, send them back to their port of departure, no need to have them enter Japan land and take that risk.

Ventilation systems...yeah, it allows the spread of germs and viruses. Even if off, the pipes are still there. Every room has.

All health agencies should treat unknown illnesses as though they are full communicable (air, touch, fluid, etc) until extensive research has shown otherwise. Really dropped the ball. Ventilation systems....

Japanese government has responsibility on this. You can’t lockdown persons without knowing how the Virus is transmitted.

Perhaps they caught the Virus while been locked.

However, it is very lucky that there is no death, considering that more than 10,000 of US citizens die by flu　each year.

Thanks, you’ve read my comment and understood it as it was intended. I’m just asking the question- it’s an American ship, can the U..S - or anyone else whose nationals are on board - offer any help to Japan?

It's not an American ship.

Consider them all infected and deal with it that way!

"And where will they go? They are in a perfect quarantine environment already."

Not exactly! People are still bringing the passengers food and supplies. One slip up and another person is infected and another. Also, if cabin fever sets in then passengers might stop following the instructions of the officials; thus, infecting others in the process of trying to leave.

If they were in an onshore quarantine facility, you would have exactly the same issue, but we would add a further issue of the risks of contamination when thousands of people are transported off the ship.

This is indeed a PANDEMIC

It's an epidemic, not yet a pandemic.

It's a British-owned ship... but I guess anything to blame the US right?

These infections began in Japanese waters so it is probably, legally speaking, Japan's responsibility. They're handling it probably as best as they can within the parameters that they have available to them. I think cooperating countries with citizens aboard should be providing support, but since the Japanese news isn't giving out information that liberally, they might be and we just aren't made privy to that information.

As for the ship that is stuck near Hong Kong, I hear the folks are being let go after only about 4 days! I don't know whether that's good or bad.

It's a British-owned ship... but I guess anything to blame the US right?

Actually, it’s a Princess Cruises ship owned by Carnival Corporation & plc.. They are responsible unless passengers are invited off by whatever country/give they happen to be stuck in.

invalid CSRF

With contagion cases on a seemingly inexorable rise, how long before we start seeing desperate passengers jumping overboard to escape?

In my opinion, the increase of infections is not the result of quarantine and contagion rise, but simply the result of more testing done by Japan. If all people were negative at first, then positive, quarantine would be the reason but that’s not the case,

Thanks Japan to test everyone and make the job.

Until somebody dies of the virus in Japan then the Japanese authorities are doing a great job.

Until somebody dies of the virus in Japan then the Japanese authorities are doing a great job.

Unless the the patient who dies is from Hubei province, no one will know, including the Japanese authorities, since they won't be tested. It will take a massive outbreak for the Japanese authorities to notice anything.

Japan is not taking any chances as well they shouldn't for health and political elections coming up too. To answer: Im confused. The ship in HK that was quarantined, disembarked after 4 days. They were able to test 3600 people in 4 days. Did they not test everyone correctly? Checking the body temperature is not the correct test as is being done now. Also back when that ship passengers were tested the virus wasn't as widespread due to lack of proper reporting from China.

Will GoodeFeb. 10  07:41 pm JST

you can have flu, pass it on and show no symptoms for two weeks.

likely incorrect

This is indeed a PANDEMIC

by definition it is not but well done for using capital letters to emphasize your hysteria.

Until somebody dies of the virus in Japan then the Japanese authorities are doing a great job.

2% of people that catch the common flu virus every year die... it's a normal statistic and this virus is no different in that 2% statistic.

So the fact that no one has yet died in Japan shows quite a good standard of care so far... much rather be in Japan receiving their care than in most other countries, US and UK included!

Perhaps they caught the Virus while been locked.

As the current information is that the incubation period is in between 2 days and 14 days and the quarantine is going on since 1 week, it is perfectly believable that the contamination was prior to the start of the quarantine and that could explain the big jump.

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/symptoms.html*

Reports are that the virus is now airborne.

Did not hear of that one. But it seems researchers are looking for the possibility that it is also transmissible through feces which could explain the high rate of contamination in a place with shared toilet not washed in between each use.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-02-01/coronavirus-lurking-in-feces-may-reveal-hidden-risk-of-spread

If the virus is able to live for a while outside a body that can also explain high contamination rate.

So, no need to panic.

The rules for testing so restrictive that there's absolutely no way for the Japanese government or anyone to identify at an early phase of any small clusters of spread, because even until today, testing and all related services are strictly limited to people who had physically been to Hubei province or can prove without a doubt that they are in contact with someone who is infectious from Hubei province.

In the same time the current test is not so good as said by someone else so wasting time and money to check out every hypochondriac coming across..

Sure Japan could be more proactive but perhaps you should try to not go overboard.

no one will know until there's millions of cases and tens of thousands of death, as no one would be tested or diagnosed

As if they will really not test people coming across with the real symptom moreover if there is some way of contamination.

@alyrustom well put Aly. And I was gonna say the same thing regarding the people on the ship, but you beat me to it. And you’re right, the longer those people stay on the ship, the greater chance that those who are still there to get infected. So just get all the people outta there, transport the infected to the proper hospitals, and have mandatory health checks to those that I left. There, problem solved.

”Those that are left.” My bad

The company will additionally cover all costs incurred by those quarantined aboard the ship since last Tuesday, when passengers were originally scheduled to disembark at Yokohama.

Free booze and pay-per-view! Enjoy.

Whenever I relocate to a new country for a few months, I make a point to drink the same local water used by everyone else, get sick, then get better in the first week. With a 3% chance of death and a good chance to get off the ship by being sick, perhaps the passengers have decided that was their best plan?

Or 1-25 of the stewards are sick and passing the Wuhan Virus to the cabins they handle?

Because of the delayed symptoms, it is likely at least another 100 are already infected, just not showing symptoms. Add 20-100 more daily as they and the people near their cabin get infected ... but don't know it for 3-14 days.

@ N Knight -

2% of people that catch the common flu virus every year die...

A few people keep posting this fallacy, yet cannot back it up when asked for a reference. Because it is nonsense.

I found this with a cursory google search:

The distribution of mortality across age groups was similar for the two groups of coded deaths. For pneumonia and influenza causes, the proportions of average deaths overall were 1.5%, 10.6%, and 87.9% for persons aged

Hmm, half my post disappeared, that's weird. I'll try again.

A few people keep posting this fallacy, yet cannot back it up when asked for a reference.

I found this with a cursory Google search:

The distribution of mortality across age groups was similar for the two groups of coded deaths. For pneumonia and influenza causes, the proportions of average deaths overall were 1.5%, 10.6%, and 87.9% for persons aged

Hmm, half my post disappeared again. The characters in my quote seem to have broken it. I'll try again.

A few people keep posting this fallacy, yet cannot back it up when asked for a reference.

I found this with a cursory Google search:

The distribution of mortality across age groups was similar for the two groups of coded deaths. For pneumonia and influenza causes, the proportions of average deaths overall were 1.5%, 10.6%, and 87.9% for persons aged [less than] 19 years, 19--64 years, and ≥65 years, respectively. For respiratory and circulatory causes, the proportions were 0.5%, 10.1%, and 89.4%.

Based on an average annual count of 74,363 for all pneumonia and influenza deaths, and an average annual estimate of 6,309 deaths associated with influenza in this category, 8.5% of all pneumonia and influenza deaths were influenza associated. Based on an annual average count of 1,132,319 for all respiratory and circulatory deaths and an average annual estimate of 23,607 deaths associated with influenza in this category, 2.1% of all respiratory and circulatory deaths were influenza associated.

The last line says 2.1%. And it's from the CDC:

Link: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5933a1.htm

2.1% of all respiratory and circulatory deaths were influenza associated.

"2.1% of all respiratory and circulatory deaths were influenza associated" does NOT inducate a mortality of 2.1% if one catches the flu virus. All it indicates is that 2.1 percent of respiratory and circulatory deaths were linked to the flu.

Statistics 101.

"2.1% of all respiratory and circulatory deaths were influenza associated" does NOT inducate a mortality of 2.1% if one catches the flu virus. All it indicates is that 2.1 percent of respiratory and circulatory deaths were linked to the flu.

Fair enough. I've googled around some more, I can't find any official statistics that show the rate of death for the standard flu as being 2%. Actually, anywhere I did find numbers, there was quite a range, but none of the calculations showed anywhere near 2%.

The ship is in Japanese Territorial Waters. For all intents and purposes, they are in Japan. The biggest percentage of passengers are Japanese. They're under Japanese laws and protections and Japan is doing pretty good at keeping these people content and alive given the circumstances. The absolute last thing they should do is try to repatriate these people right now. Repatriation would not guarantee they won't get sick and all it would serve to do is put them in even closer quarters (planes) with even worse air circulation and put them in hospitals in their respective countries to further the spread of the virus. Sure, the world should maybe pitch in but Japan is doing just fine on its own in this case. People saying, oh well it's a foreign ship filled with foreigners so their own countries should take care of them are not only letting their bigotry out for the world to see, they're clearly unaware how any of this works.

Japan is handling this just fine. Not a single person has died on that ship.

@not a single person has died on that ship.

YET, but be patient, it is too soon yet but more than likely the numbers game will win and a stat will change all that. Just like someone posted, at the beginning of the ships arrival, no need to quarantine them all, hmmm bet they feel red in the face for posting that now. The count keeps climbing as this virus matures and transforms itself each time.

I want to know how many former infected passengers have recovered, in serious conditions or dead.

Not giving back such info is criminal.

I only read a few comments, so maybe this has been mentioned: I think they should ask doctors how to handle this. Surely the government is doing that. All I know is this is a tough situation.

Simple, in Japanese musugashii! No one will act, so no can be blamed for the failure. I mean one guy committed suicide when the first cases arrived in Japan, and he was simply watching people. Unless that person was murdered, it shows how ill-equipped Japan is to handle surprises. It is why I personally fear having a serious accident and need an ambulance.

> Japan and the culture in general are not good at making immediate decisive choices.

Fair enough Numan.

Jonathan PrinFeb. 11  12:23 pm JST

I want to know how many former infected passengers have recovered, in serious conditions or dead.

Not giving back such info is criminal.

If you want the information, you can find it. The MHLW publishes updates every day. The media and the general public can freely access that data. It seems the media you are choosing to read isn't bothering to include this information. Does that make them criminal? Or you, for not seeking beyond what's being served up? Lazy journalism and lazy readers are not criminals, in my opinion.

The people who have been registered positive should have. been separated and sent to hospitals. This was a no brainer, but to much beyond Japanese officialdom. Thus: sick people infected other people.

"However, no deaths have occurred in Japan which shows that the medical workers are doing a terrific job!"

I'm sure they are doing as terrific a job as they can under the circumstances. But it it is also likely they have been lucky so far. Has not enough time passed for officialdom to have prepared isolation wards in hospitals where the infected people can be better serviced?