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A8 WORLD NEWS
Monday 17 February 2020

Americans who left cruise trade one quarantine for another

By MARI YAMAGUCHI the Diamond Princess were
Associated Press at a high risk of exposure to
TOKYO (AP) — Americans the virus.
Cheryl and Paul Molesky The Americans were be-
decided to trade one ing flown to Travis Air Force
coronavirus quarantine for Base in California and
another. Lackland Air Force Base in
The couple from Syracuse, Texas. After arriving in the
New York, made the deci- U.S., all of the passengers
sion to cut short a 14-day will need to go through an-
quarantine on the Dia- other 14 days of quarantine
mond Princess cruise ship — meaning they will have
in the port of Yokohama, been under quarantine for
near Tokyo, to be flown a total of nearly four weeks.
back to the United States. Other governments, includ-
But they knew that if they ing Canada and Hong
were allowed to leave the Kong, also will require the
ship, they'd have to spend passengers to undergo a
another two-week quar- second 14-day quarantine.
antine period at a U.S. mili- "We are glad to be going
tary facility to make sure home," Cheryl Molesky told
they don't have the new NHK TV in Japan. "It's just a An ambulance leaves a port where the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship is docked Sun-
virus that's been sweeping little bit disappointing that day, Feb. 16, 2020, in Yokohama, near Tokyo.
across Asia. we'll have to go through Associated Press
About 380 Americans were quarantine again, and
on the cruise ship. The we will probably not be as rus, including one death. symptoms could still pass have already tested posi-
Japanese defense ministry comfortable as the Dia- Dr. Anthony Fauci, direc- the virus to someone else. tive for the virus will not be
said around 300 of them mond Princess, possibly." tor of the National Institute Asked how they felt about among those evacuated
had been making plans "The biggest challenge has of Allergy and Infectious the additional 14-day quar- on the flights.
to leave. Some Americans been the uncertainty," she Diseases at the National antine in the United States, Some American passen-
disembarked Sunday night added. Institutes of Health, said Cheryl Molesky sighed, and gers said they would pass
and boarded buses to take Molesky also said she was Sunday on CBS' "Face the her husband said, "If we up the opportunity to take
them to Tokyo's Haneda getting concerned about Nation," that 40 Americans have to go through that, a flight to the U.S. because
Airport. The U.S. State De- the rising number of pa- have gotten infected, and we will go through that." of the additional quaran-
partment said later that tients on the ship. those showing symptoms The couple spoke to the tine. There also was con-
two charter flights carrying "It's a little bit scary with the will not be able to get on NKH TV before passengers cern about being on a long
cruise ship passengers had numbers going up of the the evacuation plane. were allowed off the ship, flight with other passengers
departed Tokyo and were people being taken off the "If people on the plane and it wasn't immediately who may be infected or in
on their way to the United ship for the (virus), so I think start to develop symptoms, known if they were able to an incubation period.
States. its time to go. I think its time they'll be segregated within board the flight to the U.S. One of the Americans,
Canada, Hong Kong and to cut our losses and take the plane," Fauci said, add- Everyone was expected Matthew Smith, said in a
Italy said they were plan- off," she said. ing that the additional 14- to receive a checkup be- tweet Sunday that he saw
ning similar flights of pas- Japan on Sunday an- day quarantine is because fore being allowed on the a passenger with no face
sengers. nounced another 70 in- of the "degree of transmis- chartered flight, and the mask talking at close quar-
The U.S. Embassy in Tokyo fections on the Diamond sibility on that cruise ship is embassy said that those ters with another passen-
said Washington was evac- Princess, raising the ship's essentially akin to being in who showed symptoms of ger. He said he and his wife
uating the Americans be- total number of cases to a hot spot." sickness would not be per- scurried away. "If there are
cause the passengers and 355. Overall, Japan has 413 He added that an infected mitted to board the plane. secondary infections on
crew members on board confirmed cases of the vi- person who shows minimal American passengers who board, this is why.q