Number of Pinoys from Japan cruise ship with COVID-19 climbs to 41

Six more Filipinos aboard the quarantined cruise ship Diamond Princess in Japan have tested positive for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), according to the Department of Health (DOH) on Wednesday.

This brings to 41 the total number of infected Filipinos who had been aboard the vessel.

"Lahat ng nagpositibo na Pilipino ay crew members," Health Assistant Secretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said at a press conference in Manila.

"Kapag nagpo-positibo na po ang isang tao doon sa cruise ship, siya ay immediately dini-disembark at dinadala sa isang ospital na referral hospital nila doon sa Japan," she added.

Over 500 Filipinos make up half of the ship's crew while seven others were passengers.

The Diamond Princess, operated by Carnival Corp, has been quarantined in the port of Yokohama since February 3 after a man, who disembarked in Hong Kong before it traveled to Japan, was diagnosed with the virus that has already killed over 2,000 in China, mostly in Hubei province.

The quarantine period ended Wednesday.

Voluntary repatriation

Vergeire underscored that the repatriation of the affected Filipinos in Japan will be voluntary.

"Lahat po ng ire-repatriate natin should be asymptomatic ibig sabihin wala silang sintomas. Pangalawa, they should test negative bago sila sumakay doon sa chartered plane natin," she said.

The employer would shoulder the costs of their transportation, according to Vergeire.

The Inter-agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases also aims to repatriate the Filipinos in one batch only.

"It can be one or two carriers but we would want na isang batch lang silang darating nang sabay-sabay," Vergeire said.

Those who will be repatriated will undergo quarantine in the Philippines for two weeks. The location of facility for the measure, however, has not been disclosed yet.

"Sa ngayon gusto lang muna naming mai-coordinate nang maayos sa ating local governments at communities na kasama natin doon," Vergeire said.

"Naiintindihan po namin ang mga local government sa kanilang mga agam-agam pagdating sa ganito," she added.

The Athletes' Village in New Clark City was used as the country's first quarantine facility for the repatriates who arrived from China. The local government of Capas, Tarlac initially opposed the move as it expressed concern over the health of residents. —KBK, GMA News