Canadians stranded aboard cruise ship in Japan to be flown home
Posted February 15, 2020 10:19 pm.
Last Updated February 16, 2020 7:59 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The Canadian government says it has chartered a plane to bring Canadians stranded on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship docked in Japan home.
No date has been given for the flight but those aboard will be taken to CFB Trenton where they will be quarantined for 14 days.
“This decision was taken because of the extraordinary circumstances faced by passengers on the Diamond Princess and to lighten the burden on the Japanese health-care system,” read a statement from Global Affairs Canada. “We are working closely with Carnival Cruise Lines and the Government of Japan to assist in this evacuation.”
Global Affairs says before boarding the aircraft, passengers will be screened for symptoms of the coronavirus. Those who exhibit symptoms will not be permitted to board the plane and instead will be transferred to the Japanese health system to receive appropriate care.
As of Saturday, 15 Canadians on the Diamond Princess have tested positive for the virus according to Theresa Tam, chief public health officer at the Public Health Agency of Canada.
An elderly Quebecois couple from Gatineau, Que., are the latest to have tested positive for the coronavirus, according to their daughter.
Diane, 73, and Bernard Menard, 75, are confined to their cabin and awaiting transportation by ambulance to a military hospital where they will be kept in isolation until they no longer test positive for the virus, Chantal Menard told The Canadian Press in an interview.
“They are very fragile and weak,” Menard said. “It’s been two days, they are resting … they have fever. My mother is coughing a bit.”
She said her parents’ symptoms are similar to those of the common cold.
In total, 285 people have tested positive on the ship, following the 67 new cases discovered Saturday.
