MANILA, Philippines — The number of Filipinos from the quarantined cruise ship off Japan who
are
infected with the potentially deadly coronavirus disease climbed to 80, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Tuesday.
They are among the at least 691 people on board the Diamond Princess—once the biggest hotspot of the disease outside China—who tested positive for COVID-19.
DFA Undersecretary Brigido Dulay said that of the 80 Filipinos, 10 have since
been discharged from hospitals with
clean bill of health.
He added that the Filipino crew members who
are scheduled to return to the Philippines today have tested negative.
Per Tokyo PE, 80 Filipinos from the Diamond Princess cruise
???? have so far tested positive for
Covid-19. 10 have since
been discharged
w/ clean bill of health. Remaining Filipino crew for repatriation today have all tested negative.
???????? @teddyboylocsin #DFAinACTION
— Dodo Dulay (@dododulay) February 25, 2020
Repatriation
Two chartered planes bound for Japan left Ninoy Aquino International Airport to bring home
more than 400 Filipinos stranded in the coronavirus-wracked cruise ship.
The first repatriation flight is expected to arrive at the Clark International Airport at 8:30 p.m., while the second flight will be back in the Philippines at 10:40 p.m.
Upon arrival, the repatriates will
be quarantined at the New Clark City in Tarlac for 14 days.
The homecoming date of over 400 Filipinos
was initially set last week but the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Disease
decided to move the schedule of evacuation “out of an abundance of caution with a view of safeguarding the health and safety” of overseas Filipinos on board the vessel.
The vessel, moored off Yokohama in Japan,
was quarantined on February 5 after a passenger who disembarked in Hong Kong tested positive for the disease. While
passengers were confined to their cabins, many crew members
were not isolated because
they were needed to keep the ship running.
Four people have so far died after becoming sick on the vessel.
The situation in virus epicenter China appeared to be calming
but the situation is worsening in other nations with
more than 2,000 cases and 30 deaths reported abroad. — with report from Agence France-Presse