US Evacuates Citizens from COVID-19 Outbreak Cruise Ship... Also Tests for Flu Symptoms

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Yuri Kim] The United States has decided to evacuate Americans aboard the cruise ship 'Diamond Princess,' which is docked at Yokohama Port in Japan and experiencing a cluster outbreak of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), using two chartered planes.

According to foreign media such as The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), Henry Walke, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), stated on the 14th (local time) that the U.S. Department of State plans to provide seats on planes arranged for about 380 Americans and their families aboard the cruise ship, and the chartered planes are expected to arrive in the U.S. as early as the 16th.

He explained that the CDC team was dispatched to Japan to check the health status of the American passengers, and those showing symptoms of COVID-19 infection will not be allowed to board the plane. The chartered planes will head to Travis Air Force Base near Sacramento, California. Additional screenings of passengers will be conducted there. Some may also be sent to Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas.

At Travis Air Force Base, more than 230 Americans brought from Wuhan City, China, earlier this month are currently quarantined while being tested for COVID-19 infection. Americans arriving from Japan will stay in a different area from them.

The Diamond Princess, which arrived at Yokohama Port on the 3rd, had a total of over 3,700 passengers and crew on board. So far, 218 people have been confirmed infected with COVID-19, among whom 11 are reported to be in serious condition.

Meanwhile, the U.S. has decided to test patients showing flu-like symptoms for COVID-19 infection. AFP and other news agencies reported that Nancy Messonnier, director of the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said, "We will test people showing flu-like symptoms for COVID-19 infection." The tests will initially be conducted at five laboratories in Los Angeles (LA), San Francisco, Seattle, Chicago, and New York, with plans to expand later. AFP noted that this measure represents a significant expansion of the U.S. government's response to COVID-19.