Coronavirus cruise ship:
stuck on board the quarantined Diamond Princess

What was meant to be a pleasure trip through the China Sea ended with all onboard stuck without the possibility of leaving their cabins. Although Japanese sanitary authorities imposed quarantine measures on the ship, more than 600 cases of the new Coronavirus have been detected among the crew and passengers. The ship stayed under quarantine until Feb 19 — 14 days after the isolation period began. As of February 21, more than 1,000 passengers remained on the vessel waiting to disembark.

Cases detected

People who remain on the ship must stay inside their cabins and are allowed only short walks on open decks. When they leave their cabins they are asked to wear masks and keep their distance from each other. Also they have to monitor their own temperatures using thermometers provided by the crew

The journey

On January 25, hundreds of passengers boarded the ship in Hong Kong for the start of an adventure taking in Vietnam, Taiwan and Okinawa. An 80-year-old male passenger from Hong Kong was diagnosed with the virus on February 1 after the ship returned from Japan on January 25. A few days later the vessel was quarantined by Japanese authorities until February 19.

The Diamond Princess

The vessel is a British cruise ship owned and operated by Princess Cruises. It primarily travels around Asia during the northern hemisphere summer. The ship has been in quarantine since arriving in Yokohama on February 4

The cabin

Not all passengers have to put up with the same circumstances. Most occupy outer cabins that have balconies which allow good ventilation in the room, natural light and less of a sense of confinement. But some are staying in interior rooms without a window or a balcony