The crisis of evacuees who were onboard the Diamond Princess appears to be slowing down as over dozens of evacuees were released from the Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio following an initial delay.
San Antonio Finally OKs Release of Evacuees
Passengers evacuated from the Diamond Princess in Yokohama were brought to the San Antonio International Airport at around 1 p.m. Tuesday, ABC affiliate KSAT-TV reported. They were initially scheduled for release on Monday.
The American citizens who were onboard the coronavirus-infected ship had to go through a two-week quarantine at the military base as a precautionary measure.
News of the evacuees' release came a day after the City of San Antonio, Texas filed a temporary restraining order to keep the Diamond Princess passengers from being allowed out of the military base.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) then changed its release protocol and the city's filing at the federal court was dismissed. San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg said his top priority was to ensure that CoVID-19 infections will be prevented.
Hong Kong to Release Evacuees
On Wednesday, Hong Kong followed suit in San Antonio's decision to finally release quarantined Diamond Princess passengers.
According to the South China Morning Post, around 100 Hong Kong residents will start exiting the Fo Tan quarantine base during the early hours of Thursday following a 14-day quarantine since their return.
Of the evacuated Hong Kong nationals, 10 tested positive of the CoVID-19 strain. As the evacuees leave, new residents will be brought in from Wuhan to undergo quarantine.
Indonesia Quarantines Diamond Princess Crew
In Indonesia, 69 Indonesians who were crew members of the Diamond Princess has started their quarantine at a facility in Sebaru Kecil Island.
The said cruise ship staff were evacuated from Japan on Sunday and landed the same night at the Kertajati International Airport in West Java, the Jakarta Post reported. While the crew members seemed healthy, they will still have to undergo quarantine.
Coordinating Minister for the government's Human Development and Cultural Affairs (Menko PMK) Muhadjir Effendy explained that the Indonesian evacuees carried health certificates from Japan as proof of their good health conditions.
However, Muhadjir said the mandatory two-week quarantine was requested by Indonesian President Joko Widodo as part of the country's efforts in preventing further coronavirus infections.
Remote Indian Ocean Island Violently Protests Sun Princess Docking
Meanwhile, another Princess Cruises Line ship experienced the stigma that kicked off in the cruise ship industry since the Diamond Princess was found to have coronavirus-infected passengers.
French news site Imaz Press Réunion first reported on the story over the weekend. The outlet said over two dozen residents at the Réunion Island started throwing bottles and stones at buses carrying passengers from the Sun Princess.
In response to the violent protests of the island's residents, local police had to come around with tear gas. The protests came amid fears that some passengers onboard the Sun Princess may have contracted the CoVID-19 strain.
Réunion Island, which is part of France's area of responsibility, has not seen any coronavirus cases to date. It has approximately 900,000 residents, Business Insider reported.
Protesters Express Concerns about Madagascar-Shunned Sun Princess
The Sun Princess docked early Sunday morning, with 2,000 passengers waiting to experience the French island. The cruise ship was turned away earlier by Madagascar amid coronavirus fears.
Speaking with The Guardian, protester Yannis Latchimy explained that while the island is not against tourism, residents want to make sure all precautionary measures are taken to ensure the virus is not present among passengers.
The protesters gathered at the Pointe des Galets port to demand mandatory health checks and temperature-checking measures for passengers exiting the cruise ship. None of the demands were met and no passenger who disembarked for excursions on the island took the masks offered by health authorities.
