The 22 Taiwanese aboard the Diamond Princess cruise liner quarantined in Yokahama, Japan, must remain on the ship at least until Wednesday next week, when the current quarantine period is set to end, Taiwan-Japan Relations Association Secretary-General Kuo Chung-shi (郭仲熙) said yesterday.
Kuo told a Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) news conference that the quarantine period could be altered, as Japanese authorities are considering testing more of the ship’s passengers and crew.
The government is working closely with Japan to monitor the condition of the 22 Taiwanese on the ship, he said.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs had notified Japanese authorities that an 85-year-old Taiwanese passenger was suffering nosebleeds and coughing up blood, but the ministry had not received permission to have him taken off the ship, Kuo said.
Japanese doctors later boarded the ship to examine the man, and they gave him medication, after which he showed considerable improvement, Kuo said.
Ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou (歐江安) said that Taiwan’s representative office in Japan was in contact with the 22 Taiwanese on the ship and would provide any necessary assistance to them.
Despite the efforts to control the spread of the virus on the Diamond Princess, the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare yesterday confirmed that another 39 people had tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total number of cases to 174.
Of the 39, 29 were reportedly passengers and 10 were crewmembers, including one of the ship’s quarantine officers.
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