Kanagawa Governor of Japan: "There May Have Been New Infections During Cruise Ship Quarantine Period"

[Asia Economy Reporter Kiho Sung] A local government official in Japan revealed that there may have been new infections during the quarantine period on the large cruise ship 'Diamond Princess,' where a cluster infection of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) occurred.

Yuji Kuroiwa, Governor of Kanagawa (神奈川) Prefecture, Japan, stated on the 20th at a briefing where he announced the deaths of two COVID-19 infected patients who had boarded the Diamond Princess, "As a result, thorough infection prevention was not achieved. It cannot be denied that new infections occurred during the (onboard) quarantine."

Some of the infected passengers who boarded the Diamond Princess were transferred to medical institutions within Kanagawa Prefecture for treatment, and among them, an 87-year-old man and an 84-year-old woman with underlying conditions passed away, Governor Kuroiwa announced at the press conference that day.

At this event, he expressed a view differing from that of the central government, which leads COVID-19 prevention measures, suggesting that new infections likely occurred during the onboard quarantine.