THERE are now 35 Filipino crew members onboard the cruise ship Diamond Princess who have tested positive for COVID-19, including eight new cases, the Embassy in Tokyo confirmed to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Tuesday.
The DFA said the Filipinos who tested positive for COVID-19 were immediately transferred to Japanese hospitals and are now undergoing treatment.
“The Embassy constantly communicates with all patients currently confined in Japanese hospitals to ensure their well-being and to provide assistance,” the DFA added.
The Japanese government was scheduled to announce on Tuesday the disembarkation procedures for the end of the ship’s quarantine period.
As such, the Embassy is coordinating with all relevant Philippine and Japanese government agencies and is meeting with senior management representatives of Princess Cruises to ensure an orderly and safe repatriation of Filipinos once they clear the Japanese quarantine requirements, the DFA said.
Image credits: AP/Jae C. Hong