Of the 34 coronavirus cases confirmed in the United States, over a dozen are passengers of the Diamond Princess, the infected cruise ship that recently ended its quarantine period.
14 Americans from Diamond Princess Infected
Over 300 Americans were evacuated from the Diamond Princess and 14 of them contracted the fast-spreading disease, Dr. Nancy Messonnier of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed, CBS reported.
The 14 cases from the cruise ship brought the U.S. coronavirus infection toll to 34. The rest of the citizens evacuated from the infected ship are still undergoing the 14-day quarantine since they landed in the country.
The said Americans, as well as other passengers and crew members of the cruise ship, were put on quarantine inside the Diamond Princess for two weeks before being allowed to disembark.
Some governments and health experts have questioned Japan's decision to quarantine the crew and passengers of the cruise ship. Others raised concerns about the Japanese government's move of not isolating people who disembarked.
Donald Trump Enraged over News
U.S. President Donald Trump was reportedly angry over news that the Americans who were repatriated to the country from the Yokohama dock tested positive of CoVID-19.
Senior administration officials told The Washington Post that Trump was told American nationals on board the cruise ship who showed symptoms of the coronavirus or those who have already tested positive will be quarantined in Japan.
A U.S. health official as well as the State Department then reportedly agreed to allow the infected and symptom-showing patients to board the chartered flights back home without informing Trump first.
It is unclear how the conversation ended but the officials who spoke on condition of anonymity said Trump complained that the decision of allowing infected nationals back to the U.S. would have an impact on how people viewed his administration's handling of the coronavirus situation.
Japan Confirms Diamond Princess Patient
Meanwhile, things haven't been too well in Japan as a local government announced on Saturday that a Japanese woman who was allowed to disembark from the Diamond Princess tested positive of the CoVID-19 strain.
According to the Japan Times, the patient initially tested negative of the Wuhan coronavirus but after disembarking and traveling back to her home in the Tochigi Prefecture, she tested positive of the disease.
It is expected that the government will once again be questioned for allowing Diamond Princess passengers to travel despite being on board a ship that saw the largest outbreak outside China.
Japan's new confirmed case used public transport after disembarking from the cruise ship. The local government noted that she used a surgical mask on the way home.
The news came amid concerns following the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare's revelation on Saturday that it wasn't able to test 23 Diamond Princess passengers during the 14-day quarantine period.
Fears for Britons Left in Japan after Infection
32 Britons and Europeans who were on board the coronavirus-infected cruise ship. have finally arrived back home through a repatriation flight.
Despite some rejoicing in the United Kingdom for the return of Britons who tested negative of the CoVID-19 virus, fears are rising for the British nationals left in Japan for treatment, The Guardian reported.
David and Sally Abel were among the four British nationals on board the Diamond Princess who had to stay in Japan after testing positive of the novel coronavirus. Their son, Steve, said his father was "very weak."
The National Health Service (NHS) said it has kicked off home-testing for some people across London but the testing will be expanded in the coming weeks. The method is believed to be more effective as it keeps people from traveling to get themselves tested should they experience symptoms.
Filipinos Fear for the Health of their Relatives
While others have gone home to be with their families amid the outbreak, loved ones of Filipino Diamond Princess crew members expressed fears over the delay of their relatives' repatriation.
According to Channel News Asia, the scheduled trip to the Philippines on Saturday was postponed. Over 400 Filipinos are still on board the Diamond Princess and are waiting for their clearance to return back home.
Concerns about the health of Filipino crew members still on board heightened on Saturday, after a Philippine foreign ministry official revealed that 49 Filipinos on the cruise ship have been infected.
As with other repatriated nationals from other countries, Filipinos who will be cleared by the Japanese health authorities to travel back home will be quarantined for two weeks before they are released.
