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Coronavirus cruise ship passengers leave quarantine in Japan - but Britons warned about disembarking

First passengers of quarantined cruise ship disembark, in Japan, Yokohama - Rex
First passengers of quarantined cruise ship disembark, in Japan, Yokohama - Rex

Hundreds of cruise passengers are ending their 14-day quarantine ordeal on board the Diamond Princess in Japan on Wednesday, finally disembarking at the port of Yokohama after a check by doctors for the highly infectious novel coronavirus.

Some 500 mainly elderly holidaymakers who have tested negative will be allowed to step back onto land throughout the course of Wednesday but the entire disembarkation process for all eligible passengers is likely to extend until Friday.

Of the 3,700 passengers and crew who were initially on board the ship when it was locked down by the Japanese authorities in early February, 542 have been diagnosed with Covid-19, making it the largest cluster outside of mainland China since the outbreak began in the central city of Wuhan in December.

Covid-19, which can cause breathing difficulties and fever, has now claimed 2,004 lives in China and infected more than 74,000.

A passenger of the Diamond Princess cruise ship leaves the Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal in Yokohama - Rex
A passenger of the Diamond Princess cruise ship leaves the Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal in Yokohama - Rex

Passengers on the Diamond Princess have been confined to their cabins since February 5, raising concerns about mental health issues.

Fears have also grown that the ship, even under lockdown, has been acting as an incubator for the disease, prompting several countries to step in with evacuation plans for their citizens. The US extricated more than 300 people at the weekend, flying them to further quarantine on home turf.

The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office notified British passengers on Tuesday that it would assist them with a flight home. Overnight it cautioned that those who disembarked the ship on Wednesday may not be allowed to fly.

“We are planning an evacuation flight from Tokyo to the UK as soon as possible for Britons who are on the Diamond Princess. We hope the flight will be later this week, subject to permissions from the Japanese authorities,” said the statement.

"There is a chance that people who disembark will not be able to join the evacuation flight.

“We have the utmost concern for the affected Britons and strongly encourage them to register for the evacuation flight.”

It remains unclear whether any of the Brits who have been previously diagnosed with the virus will be allowed to evacuate or must remain longer in Japan.

Six are believed to have been infected. The most recent among them are David and Sally Abel, celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary this year, who had charmed thousands with regular upbeat livestreams from their cabin.

David Abel with his wife Sally  - PA
David Abel with his wife Sally - PA

Mr Abel broke the bad news of their diagnosis on his Facebook page on Tuesday, prompting an outpouring of concern from friends and fans. The couple have spoken repeatedly of their fears of being separated.

On Wednesday morning, Mr Abel updated his followers with the news that he and his wife were being taken to a hostel for 4-5 days until they could be transferred to a hospital.

“We both feel fine but have indeed tested positive for the virus,” he said. “Our focus is now very much on our family. Thank you for your continued love & support. Sally & David.”

In a short farewell YouTube video, he revealed the couple had spent Tuesday night on the ship and expressed gratitude for the British government plane, although added he did not expect to be on it. “Bye for now!” he told supporters.

The Japanese authorities have indicated that only those cleared from having any infection or proximity to a confirmed case will be allowed to depart the ship this week. The ship's operator will decide when crew who have not been infected will leave the ship.

A passenger of the Diamond Princess cruise ship leaves the Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal in Yokohama - Rex
A passenger of the Diamond Princess cruise ship leaves the Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal in Yokohama - Rex

There is mounting criticism over Japan’s handling of the crisis, with a growing number of scientists arguing that the close-knit conditions amplified the spread of the infection and questioning whether the quarantine conditions were too lax.

Kentaro Iwata, a professor of infectious diseases at Kobe University, took to YouTube to reveal his fear of contracting the virus amid “chaotic” conditions when he inspected the ship this week.

“I looked into several places inside the ship and it turns out the cruise ship was completely inadequate in terms of the infection control. There was no distinction between the green zone which is free of infection and the red zone which is potentially contaminated,” he revealed.

Professor Iwata said he had handled infectious outbreaks of Ebola in Africa, Sars in China and cholera around the world and never been afraid for his safety due to strong protection measures.

“But inside Diamond Princess I was so scared of getting Covid-19 because there was no way to tell where the virus is, no green zone, no red zone, everywhere could have virus and everybody was not careful about it,” he alleged.

Blasting the on-ship quarantine as a "major failure, a mistake", he told AFP:  "It is highly likely secondary infections occurred."