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Although the 14-day quarantine aboard the Diamond Princess is technically over, the saga doesn't end for any of the passengers and crew just yet. Those who have been - or will be - flown home by their respective governments face an additional 14-day quarantine, while passengers who remain aboard must test negative for the virus and get medical clearance before disembarking.
As the CDC explains in the following press release, roughly 100 Americans either remain hospitalized in Japan - or elected to stay aboard ship - and they now face special travel restrictions before they can return home.While not what any of the Americans aboard that cruise ship want to hear, there is strong evidence suggesting that - despite Japan's efforts to safely segregate passengers - the virus continued to spread through the ship during the 14-day quarantine period. Some passengers, therefore, may have been exposed in the past few days and could now be silently incubating the virus.
Update on the Diamond Princess Cruise Ship in Japan
Media Statement
For Immediate Release: Tuesday, February 18, 2020
Contact: Media Relations
(404) 639-3286
We commend the extraordinary efforts by the Government of Japan to institute quarantine measures onboard the Diamond Princess. While the quarantine potentially conferred a significant public health benefit in slowing transmission, CDC’s assessment is that it may not have been sufficient to prevent transmission among individuals on the ship. CDC believes the rate of new infections on board, especially among those without symptoms, represents an ongoing risk.
Therefore, to protect the health of the American public, all passengers and crew of the ship have been placed under travel restrictions, preventing them from returning to the United States for at least 14 days after they had left the Diamond Princess.
Currently, there are more than 100 U.S. citizens still onboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship or in hospitals in Japan. These citizens have been placed under the restrictions, as have the ship’s other passengers and crew.
After disembarkation from the Diamond Princess, these passengers and crew will be required to wait 14 days without having symptoms or a positive coronavirus test result before they are permitted to board flights to the United States.
If an individual from this cruise arrives in the United States before the 14-day period ends, they will still be subject to a mandatory quarantine until they have completed the 14-day period with no symptoms or positive coronavirus test results.
Because of their high-risk exposure, there may be additional confirmed cases of COVID-19 among the remaining passengers on board the Diamond Princess.
CDC is committed to protecting the health and safety of all Americans. We continue to believe that the risk of exposure to COVID-19 to the general public in the United States is currently low. The U.S. Government is taking these measures to protect the Diamond Princess passengers and crew, their loved ones, the traveling public, and communities within the United States.
For the latest information on the outbreak, visit CDC’s Novel Coronavirus 2019 website.The U.S. Embassy in Japan, meanwhile, has issued the following letter to those Americans who have remained behind, explaining the disembarkation timeline and process, along with the new travel restrictions.
February 19, 2020
U.S. Embassy Tokyo
URGENT INFORMATION FOR U.S. CITIZEN PASSENGERS ON THE DIAMOND PRINCESS
The Japanese government intends to start the disembarkation process from the Diamond Princess on February 19. We understand that not all passengers will be allowed to disembark at once and it is possible that disembarkation will take place over a number of days.
We are writing to provide additional guidance and next steps between disembarkation from the Diamond Princess and your onward travel to the United States. As per our prior notification, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has concluded that despite efforts of quarantine there is a high risk that passengers currently onboard the Diamond Princess have been exposed to COVID-19. To limit the risk of spreading the disease, CDC has recommended travel restrictions on individuals potentially exposed to COVID-19.
The travel restrictions will prevent passengers, including U.S. citizens, on board the Diamond Princess from traveling to the United States for at least 14 days following disembarkation. Formal follow-up notification to you from the CDC is forthcoming.
The U.S. government remains committed to working with the Japanese government to support you and protect public health. Further details and guidance can be accessed by contacting Embassy Tokyo’s American Citizen Services at the email or phone number below.
If you have not already provided us with your contact information as well as your full name, date of birth, and passport number, please do so immediately so we can provide you with appropriate information on steps we are taking to support all the passengers from the Diamond Princess.
We expect CDC to provide additional guidance on communications related to your health during the intervening period. Should you become ill during this period, remain in your lodging and please notify Embassy Tokyo’s American Citizen Services so that we can connect you with appropriate public health officials.
If you experience a medical emergency, please go to the nearest emergency room. We understand that you have been through a challenging time and that you are ready to move forward with plans for returning to life off-board the Diamond Princess.
Please be assured that the U.S. Embassy is fully aware of the difficulty of this situation and will continue to support you to the fullest extent possible.
We appreciate your patience, cooperation and understanding.
While we may gain additional information on the transmissibility of COVID-19 from this ill-fated quarantine attempt, it comes at a heavy cost, and is not a setup that public health officials are likely to be eager to repeat anytime soon.
