The United States government will evacuate its citizens from Japanese cruise ships quarantined due to the corona virus or COVID-19. After arriving in their country, they will return to quarantine for 14 days.

Reuters reported, this was stated by the US Embassy in Tokyo on Saturday (15/2). This step is carried out as the number of corona virus sufferers continues to grow from the ship Diamond Princess. The latest figures show that there are 285 positive people infected.

It is estimated that there are around 400 US citizens on board. Charter aircraft from the US reportedly arrived in Japan on Sunday (16/2). It did not mention how the mechanism for removing the US WN from the ship and when the return was carried out.

In a message to its citizens, the US Embassy said the plane would take them to Travis Air Base in California to be quarantined. Some passengers will continue their journey to different quarantine locations at the Texas military base.

“Passengers will be checked for symptoms and we are working with our partners in Japan to ensure that every passenger with symptoms will get treatment if they cannot get on a plane,” the US embassy said.

“If you choose not to go home with this chartered plane, you will not be able to return to the US for a certain time,” they continued.

The Diamond Princess ship, containing 3,700 people, was quarantined at the port of Yokohama after a passenger who disembarked in Hong Kong tested positive for the corona virus.

The quarantine plan will end on February 19. On February 18 a medical examination will be conducted on all passengers. Those who are declared negative may disembark on 21 February.

There were 78 Indonesian citizens on board. They continue to make contact with the Indonesian Embassy in Tokyo. According to Eko Junor, Coordinator of the Information Function at the Indonesian Embassy in Tokyo, no Indonesian citizens were infected.



“The news is good. According to NHK World, after the Quarantine period everything will be checked again at a health institution (to ensure it is not affected by coronavirus) before it can return to the community,” Eko said when contacted by the council on Sunday (16/2).

So far the corona virus sufferers from China have reached nearly 70 thousand people. The death rate according to WHO data is 1,669 people, more than 90 percent are in China.