Cases Of The COVID-19 Virus On The Diamond Princess Cruise Ship And The Fate Of The 78 Indonesian Citizens Aboard

Diamond Princess cruise ship (Photo: Twitter @PrincessCruises)

JAKARTA - The number of people infected with the coronavirus on the Diamond Princess cruise ship is increasing. The ship, which is anchored in Yokohama, Japan, is carrying thousands of people from foreign countries, including Indonesia.

Quoting the Nikkei Asian Review, 175 people have tested positive for the COVID-19 virus on the ship carrying 3,700 people and 1,100 crew members.

Of the hundreds of people infected, one of them is a person who became a health quarantine officer sent by the Japanese Ministry of Health. Since the first time in quarantine on February 4, he has worked to collect medical records about body temperatures from passengers.

In carrying out their work, according to the local ministry, these officers have followed the right procedures. He is already wearing a mask and gloves, but he is not wearing protective glasses.

Fortunately, according to the latest news so far 78 Indonesian citizens who are crew members are reportedly in good health, according to an official release from the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. "Currently all are in good health," wrote the Ministry of Foreign Affairs via its official website.

To maintain communication, the Indonesian Embassy in Tokyo has formed a WhatsApps group with Indonesian Indonesian crews and provided logistical assistance in the form of vitamins. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in collaboration with the Ministry of Transportation has summoned two manning agency companies that dispatched Indonesian crew members to ensure protection for them. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has also contacted the families of the Indonesian crew to inform them of the latest developments.

Crew worries

If it is true that Indonesian citizens are free from corona infection, then you can say they are lucky. This is because the crew of the ship have a greater risk of being hit by the plague. According to CNN's report, the crew were not quarantined in the same way as the passengers. They have to keep working to look after the guests.

Cruise ships are the site of the largest spread of the coronavirus outbreak outside mainland China. Those who have been confirmed to have the virus have been taken to a local hospital, while the remaining passengers and crew are still in quarantine. The quarantine will end on February 19.

However, as the quarantine continued, more than 1,000 crew members remained at work. They continue to provide and interact with potentially infected passengers and maintain the ship. At work they still wear uniforms, masks and gloves.

However, as reported by CNN, Deputy Health Minister of Japan Gaku Hashimoto said that they try to treat everyone equally.

"We also know that crew members don't have private rooms like those of passengers, and they still have to work and help on the ship, so it's not all the same. However, we give everyone guidelines on board for prevention," Hashimoto said.

Through an official statement from the Princess Cruises company posted on their website, explaining that all crew members have been checked for health by the Japanese Ministry of Health, then they fulfill their duties as usual. "Meanwhile, when not working, crew members are asked to be in their cabin," wrote the company.

(1/2) The Japanese Ministry of Health has confirmed the #DiamondPrincess quarantine end date will be February 19, unless there are any other unforeseen developments.

- Princess Cruises (@PrincessCruises) February 7, 2020