Passengers who have tested negative for the novel coronavirus began disembarking from the stricken Diamond Princess cruise ship Wednesday, despite mounting evidence from infectious disease experts they could unknowingly be carrying the virus back into their communities. These are the first passengers to leave the vessel following a 14-day quarantine period, not including those undergoing treatment on shore for the virus, and the more than 300 Americans evacuated over the weekend and now in quarantine at two US bases.
A total of 545 confirmed cases of the virus have been linked to the ship during its quarantine in Tokyo Bay, with 88 new cases confirmed on Tuesday. One new case was confirmed on Wednesday -- a Disaster Medical Assistant Team male doctor in his 30s who went on board the ship.
Passengers over 70 years old who have tested negative were the first to exit the ship on board taxis and buses, with some expected to transition to shoreside facilities and others to board chartered flights, according to the ship's captain. The disembarkation will take several days. Once passengers have left the ship, they will be permitted to travel freely.
Several countries including Australia, Canada and the UK were organizing chartered planes to repatriate their nationals.
Japan's efforts to institute quarantine measures aboard the Diamond Princess may have slowed transmission on land, but the disembarkation has sparked wider concerns, with some pointing to a potential breach of public safety.
On Monday, it was revealed that a total of 14 evacuated American passengers developed symptoms only after leaving the ship.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) commended Japan's quarantine measures but said they may not be sufficient to prevent transmission among individuals in the ship.
"The CDC believes the rate of new infections on board, especially among those without symptoms, represents an ongoing risk," it said in a statement released Tuesday.
"To protect the health of the American public, all passengers and crew of the ship have been placed under travel restrictions, preventing them from returning to the US for at least 14 days after they have left the Diamond Princess."
Other experts have also raised the alarm. A Japanese infectious disease specialist who visited the quarantined cruise ship alleged there is inadequate infection control on board.
"Inside the Diamond Princess, I was was so scared ... there was no way to tell where the virus was ... bureaucrats were in charge of everything," said Kentaro Iwata, an infectious disease specialist at Kobe University in a YouTube video published Tuesday.
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