Diamond Princess passenger "tested positive for Wuhan coronavirus"

[rabidstoat]

Are we allowed to post Twitter links here? BNO Newsroom has been tweeted updates on the coronavirus totals and has been accurate so far. They just tweeted that there were 70 new cases on the Diamond Princess, bringing the total up to 355!

 

 

I also wonder what the breakdown is of staff versus passengers. My impression was that the percentage of passengers is much higher than the percentage of staff as of now, which makes me think they are under-testing the staff.

[Pushka]

45 minutes ago, Stateroom_Sailor said:

Interesting article.  In defense of Japan, this just fell into their lap without warning.  Where should they have moved all 3,700 people to on day 1?

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/wholly-inappropriate-quarantine-practices-may-have-helped-spread-coronavirus-on-the-diamond-princess-cruise-ship-experts-say/ar-BB102mkO

 

There you go, another one of those “experts” again. 

[Pushka]

38 minutes ago, V_icki_e said:

It's the Kooralbyn Resort ... https://www.beaudeserttimes.com.au/story/6620817/state-mp-confirms-quarantine-arrangements-for-kooralbyn-resort/

Ok, that’s a State Government isolation facility for Qlders who may be at risk. Not specifically for the Diamond passengers. 
 

Apparently another 70 positives today. Different source from the tweet one. 

Edited February 16, 2020 by Pushka

[Stateroom_Sailor]

25 minutes ago, rabidstoat said:

Are we allowed to post Twitter links here? BNO Newsroom has been tweeted updates on the coronavirus totals and has been accurate so far. They just tweeted that there were 70 new cases on the Diamond Princess, bringing the total up to 355!

 

 

I also wonder what the breakdown is of staff versus passengers. My impression was that the percentage of passengers is much higher than the percentage of staff as of now, which makes me think they are under-testing the staff.

 

For anyone who thinks that the quarantine was effective, consider that the average incubation period is 5 days.  That means that the spike in new cases would be long over, with only a trickle of new cases by this point.  There should be a bell curve peak between 3 - 7 days, not spiking on day 10.

[bluesea321]

39 minutes ago, Stateroom_Sailor said:

For anyone who thinks that the quarantine was effective, consider that the average incubation period is 5 days.  That means that the spike in new cases would be long over, with only a trickle of new cases by this point.  There should be a bell curve peak between 3 - 7 days, not spiking on day 10.

 

Right on. And here is another source about the new cases. This ship is a "petri dish" of infection, little or no chance that this is ALL from before the "quarantine".

 

Japan confirms 70 new cases of COVID-19 from Diamond Princess cruise ship

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2020/02/16/national/science-health/japan-70-new-cases-covid19-diamond-princess-cruise-ship/#.Xkit5BNKjPA

Edited February 16, 2020 by bluesea321

[Cruising Is Bliss]

2 hours ago, caribill said:

 

No.

 

The letter said checked luggage was limited to 70 pounds per person. That is a low limit, but it does not say it has to be in a single suitcase.

 

The weight matters. It's a cargo 747 fitted with seats. With passengers in the cargo area it has a ceiling max of 28,000 feet to be able to maintain comfortable air for the passengers. Flying that low burns a lot more fuel. Using a cargo 747 has the added advantage that they can seal off the upper deck to maintain separate air circulation for the pilots.

Edited February 16, 2020 by Cruising Is Bliss
spelling

[NorthwestCruiser]

Do we know for certain that it is a cargo plane?   I don't see how that could be approved for a trans-Pacific crossing.  It isn't going to have exit row lighting, escape slides, rafts,  oxygen masks, PA system, etc.   I would imagine something more like a troop carrier if for some reason they didn't just use one of the many old commercial carriers floating around.

[joyoftravelling]

Just heard the Canadian Government is chartering a plane to bring Canadians home where they will undergo 14 days quarantine at Cornwall,Ont. They will be screened prior to leaving Japan, if they have symptoms will be transferred to Japanese health system.

 

“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. We are working closely with Carnival Cruise Lines and the Government of Japan to assist in this evacuation” .

The source of this information is Global-TV and Global Affairs Canada.

[cruiserchuck]

17 minutes ago, NorthwestCruiser said:

Do we know for certain that it is a cargo plane?   I don't see how that could be approved for a trans-Pacific crossing.  It isn't going to have exit row lighting, escape slides, rafts,  oxygen masks, PA system, etc.   I would imagine something more like a troop carrier if for some reason they didn't just use one of the many old commercial carriers floating around.

 

Here is information on the cargo plane used to evacuate folks from China a few weeks ago.  The same company is going to be used to evacuate the passengers from Japan.  

 

https://thepointsguy.com/news/a-look-inside-the-747-that-evacuated-americans-from-wuhan/

[SumoCitrus]

44 minutes ago, Cruising Is Bliss said:

 

The weight matters. It's a cargo 747 fitted with seats. With passengers in the cargo area it has a ceiling max of 28,000 feet to be able to maintain comfortable air for the passengers. Flying that low burns a lot more fuel. Using a cargo 747 has the added advantage that they can seal off the upper deck to maintain separate air circulation for the pilots.

 

 

Where are you getting your information? These 747s pressurize just like any other. There is no such altitude restriction.

[sppunk]

Canada is sending a rescue plane for our Canadian friends and flying them to Trenton, Ontario. 
 

https://globalnews.ca/news/6555801/canada-diamond-princess-cruise/

 

Our friends’ sister contacted the Ontario government this morning to try to facilitate this so I like to think she played a little hand in expediting this for our friends. 
 

Edit: Sorry I see this was posted a bit earlier. 

Edited February 16, 2020 by sppunk

[SunNFunCruzer]

13 minutes ago, SumoCitrus said:

There is no such altitude restriction.

 

I read that too.  Said something about flying lower -- for comfort or some other reason -- and how that would burn more gas and necessitate a fueling stop before California.

[SumoCitrus]

Maybe it’s an imposed restriction because there are no oxygen masks for the passengers.

[hal2008]

1 hour ago, NorthwestCruiser said:

Do we know for certain that it is a cargo plane?   I don't see how that could be approved for a trans-Pacific crossing.  It isn't going to have exit row lighting, escape slides, rafts,  oxygen masks, PA system, etc.   I would imagine something more like a troop carrier if for some reason they didn't just use one of the many old commercial carriers floating around.

 

Most likely they will use same or similar to one they used for Wuhan evacuation.

Less logistics to figure out.

[Just_Westy]

17 hours ago, Earthworm Jim said:

 

I

Or unless you meant it was good news from a world health perspective, rather than a ship passenger perspective.

 

I meant good news regarding ending the situation as given there are so many infections the 19 Feb date wasn't going to stand anyway. I said to wife a week ago that Governments should start to take responsibilty for their own citizens rather than the Japanese authorities given the numbers involved. 

 

I don't have a problem with the US further quarantining passengers and expect other govt's to do the same.

[dragonlord24601]

Remember who you heard it from but there are plans right now to swap the Diamond Princess with the Sapphire Princess to resume sailings if the Diamond Princess needs to be laid up for months in a deep clean. The Sapphire Princess is an identical sister of Diamond and was due to go to Shanghai and have a lengthy Chinese charter exclusively for their market after some regular cruises with Princess. That has all been cancelled as such Sapphire Princess is available to swap with Diamond should the need arise.

[npcl]

2 minutes ago, dragonlord24601 said:

Remember who you heard it from but there are plans right now to swap the Diamond Princess with the Sapphire Princess to resume sailings if the Diamond Princess needs to be laid up for months in a deep clean. The Sapphire Princess is an identical sister of Diamond and was due to go to Shanghai and have a lengthy Chinese charter exclusively for their market after some regular cruises with Princess. That has all been cancelled as such Sapphire Princess is available to swap with Diamond should the need arise.

Not identical.  The diamond was  modified for the Japanese market. While the same class ship, the sapphire did not receive those changes.

[dragonlord24601]

Just now, npcl said:

Not identical.  The diamond was  modified for the Japanese market. While the same class ship, the sapphire did not receive those changes.

That is right but they are still identical with the lack of the Japanese baths and the sushi restaurant the public rooms and cabin layouts are exactly identical so all passengers can be swapped over as they share the same capacity.

[cruiserchuck]

More information from US Embassy about the evacuation flights.  Passengers will not be charged for the flights out of Japan.

 

https://japan2.usembassy.gov/pdfs/alert-20200216-diamond-princess.pdf

 

 

 

 

[npcl]

Just now, dragonlord24601 said:

That is right but they are still identical with the lack of the Japanese baths and the sushi restaurant the public rooms and cabin layouts are exactly identical so all passengers can be swapped over as they share the same capacity.

The Sapphires primary home base was Singapore going to a number of ports that have closed to cruise ships, or become very uncertain, as well as some China cruises.  With the virus count going up in Singapore. The recent experiences with the Diamond and HALs Westerdam, it makes no sense to continue those cruises.  Pretty much any other ship that was slated to go to South East Asia between now and June have had those cruises canceled.  I expect Sapphire to get pulled out of Asia, as I would also expect Diamond.  With what I expect is going to be a rather large drop in cruise booking I would not be surprised to see Diamond be the first ship to be laid up while the outbreak proceeds.

[dragonlord24601]

2 minutes ago, npcl said:

The Sapphires primary home base was Singapore going to a number of ports that have closed to cruise ships, or become very uncertain, as well as some China cruises.  With the virus count going up in Singapore. The recent experiences with the Diamond and HALs Westerdam, it makes no sense to continue those cruises.  Pretty much any other ship that was slated to go to South East Asia between now and June have had those cruises canceled.  I expect Sapphire to get pulled out of Asia, as I would also expect Diamond.  With what I expect is going to be a rather large drop in cruise booking I would not be surprised to see Diamond be the first ship to be laid up while the outbreak proceeds.

Head office is considering it as all of Diamond Princess's itineraries were strictly limited to Japan only with either South Korea or Russia as the international stop. With this in mind there is the possibility of saving losses and keeping those sailings provided they can supply a ship that has not been exposed to the virus. They are still working on it but yes it is part of the contingency plans to minimise financial loss and disruptions. Why have two ships out of service when you can simply swap them around and rely on one in the safety of an area largely untouched by the virus.

[mking8288]

Here's a little more on that Kallita B747-400F with interior pictures of the converted cargo for passenger transport - by a FF known to the Flyertalk community, many great posts on his own YT channel. 

https://samchui.com/2020/01/31/us-evacuation-flight-from-wuhan-using-boeing-744f/

 

News/pictures credited to World Journal - quarantine housing inside the Westwind Inn at Travis AFB where many of those evacuated stayed for their 14 days - 

https://www.worldjournal.com/6775284/article-北灣基地再收53撤離者-5人疑感染/?ref=舊金山_即時新聞

Another news article by World Journal - Miramar's Marine Air Corp Station, where others evacuated were housed for their quarantine - with a picture of the a typical meal box served/provided.

https://www.worldjournal.com/6787815/article-撤僑包機-華人扔垃圾堵廁所/?ref=超人氣

 

P.S.  - In my opinion and we pack/travel light around the world - under the given circumstances ... dump those excess clothing & non-essential items flying back to the USA.  It's a life-changing flight to get you back, bring along your CPAP if you need/use it, bag & leave those dirty & soiled clothes behind for safe disposal by the clean-up crew.  Buy new ones afterward.  Perhaps, just maybe, insurance might cover your losses - it is the least of the worries.  

 

Edited February 16, 2020 by mking8288

[npcl]

Just now, dragonlord24601 said:

Head office is considering it as all of Diamond Princess's itineraries were strictly limited to Japan only with either South Korea or Russia as the international stop. With this in mind there is the possibility of saving losses and keeping those sailings provided they can supply a ship that has not been exposed to the virus. They are still working on it but yes it is part of the contingency plans to minimise financial loss and disruptions. Why have two ships out of service when you can simply swap them around and rely on one in the safety of an area largely untouched by the virus.

I very much doubt that Japan is going to want to deal with any cruise ships, even those hitting mostly Japanese ports. As the Diamond Princess shows all it takes is one infected person getting onto the cruise ship to turn into a major outbreak with all kinds of bad press and large numbers of patients and a quarantine problem.

 

Far easier for Japan to simply say closed for cruise ships and focus on the other elements of the outbreak.  Especially with getting ready for the Olympics this summer. 

 

Princess may want to do that, but would be surprised if Japan gives the OK.

 

 

[dragonlord24601]

1 minute ago, npcl said:

I very much doubt that Japan is going to want to deal with any cruise ships, even those hitting mostly Japanese ports. As the Diamond Princess shows all it takes is one infected person getting onto the cruise ship to turn into a major outbreak with all kinds of bad press and large numbers of patients and a quarantine problem.

 

Far easier for Japan to simply say closed for cruise ships and focus on the other elements of the outbreak.  Especially with getting ready for the Olympics this summer. 

 

Princess may want to do that, but would be surprised if Japan gives the OK.

 

 

Their laws differ somewhat in regards to that. The company is liable for far more compensation to Japanese guests if that were to happen. With the banning of all people boarding the ships who have been through mainland China it should be enough. As I said these are just preliminary plans head office has at the moment in the event that Diamond Princess is laid up for longer. The majority of guests booked on Diamond Princess will be Japanese and it is business as usual in that country.

[Farts]

9 minutes ago, mking8288 said:

 

 

P.S.  - In my opinion and we pack/travel light around the world - under the given circumstances ... dump those excess clothing & non-essential items flying back to the USA.  It's a life-changing flight to get you back, bring along your CPAP if you need/use it, bag & leave those dirty & soiled clothes behind for safe disposal by the clean-up crew.  Buy new ones afterward.  Perhaps, just maybe, insurance might cover your losses - it is the least of the worries.  

 

I totally agree with this. you can always buy more stuff. leave while you can.