Editor’s Note: As of Feb. 21, Marichu and Ding say they are healthy and the two-week quarantine aboard the Diamond Princess is over. They boarded a chartered flight with other Canadian passengers who tested negative for COVID-19 to Cornwall, Ont., where they are subject to another two-week quarantine on Canadian soil. The 47 Canadians on the cruise ship who tested positive for the virus are receiving medical treatment in Japan.

The morning routine hasn’t changed for Marichu and Ding Camales-Torrijos since they and all other passengers on the Diamond Princess cruise were quarantined following discovery of the coronavirus on board.

The couple have breakfast delivered by mask-wearing cruise staff, they listen to live updates from the captain about the spread of the virus, they send online messages to family and friends, and they pray.

“We start the day with prayer thanking God that we are symptom-free,” Marichu told The B.C. Catholic Feb. 13. The couple, parishioners at St. Matthew’s in Surrey, boarded the ship for a Southeast Asia cruise 26 days earlier. It was a gift to Ding ahead of his 65th birthday.

They made stops in Vietnam, Taiwan, China, and Hong Kong, when on the last day of the trip a case of the coronavirus, also called COVID-19, was discovered on board. The ship was placed on quarantine, docked in Yokohama, Japan, and anchored for the next two weeks. The couple don’t expect to leave the ship until Feb. 19.

At press time, 44 new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed on board, bringing the total number of infected individuals to 218 of the roughly 3,700 cruise passengers and crew.

“We are taking this in stride on a day-to-day basis,” said Marichu.

During the quarantine, the couple are confined to their 200-square-foot cabin with no balcony. They must wear masks when their meals are delivered and during the single hour a day they are allowed (according to a schedule announced daily by the captain) to walk outside. The rest of the time they stay inside, praying, sending messages to other passengers through online chat groups, and trying to stay positive.

Marichu and Ding at a stop on their cruise before the quarantine.

Marichu isn’t aware of any Catholic priests on board the Diamond Princess, but as a lector, extraordinary minister, and member of Couples for Christ at St. Matthew’s, she is trying to minister to her fellow travellers by offering an optimistic outlook.

When a fellow passenger in his 80s was taken off the ship and sent to hospital for treatment, Marichu reached out to his wife who remained on board. Through online messages she tried to provide comfort and encouragement.

“Without faith, I don’t think I would last this long,” said Marichu.

In Vancouver, Archbishop J. Michael Miller has called for prayers for those suffering from the virus.

“As Chinese health and political officials struggle to contain the virus, please pray that they see in the response of the global community a solidarity rooted in Christian charity. May God grant wisdom and healing as the countries of the world work to prevent a global epidemic.”

Though B.C.’s health officer Bonnie Henry has said only four cases of COVID-19 have been discovered in B.C. and the risk here is low, some Catholic communities are taking precautions about spreading illness.

Father Richard Au, pastor of Canadian Martyrs Parish, has obtained a dispensation from attending Mass for members of his largely Chinese congregation who have recently travelled to regions affected by the virus, have been in contact with anyone who might be infected, or are coughing or feverish. Those who don’t attend Mass “must practise other forms of piety for an hour” such as reading the Bible or praying the Rosary.

Since the announcement was made public, Father Au has noticed a decrease in attendance at Sunday Mass, while the hand sanitizer dispensers are in high demand, as are the automatic door openers, with parishioner using their elbows instead of hands to push the button.

“Everyone has someone or has a connection” to someone in Wuhan, China, the epicentre of the virus, he said. The constant information and misinformation about new cases, compounded by fear, has led to parishioners showing up at the church “at nighttime, knocking on the door and pouring their hearts out and their tears out.”

Father Au is urging his congregation to offer their prayers and Lenten sacrifices, starting on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 26, “for the people affected, the people who are dying.”

At press time, reports said 14,800 new cases had been discovered in the Chinese province of Hubei, raising the total to more than 60,000 cases worldwide (the vast majority of them in mainland China) and 1,367 deaths.

In B.C., the four people infected with COVID-19 were in isolation and their conditions were stable or recovering, Henry said at a press conference Feb. 11.

The Archdiocese of Vancouver sent a message to parishes Jan. 30 advising pastors they may suggest parishioners nod rather than shake hands with each other during the Sign of Peace.





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