Coronavirus-hit Diamond Princess cruise ship crew’s families fear for kin as Philippines evacuation postponed

More than 1,000 crew are stuck on board the liner including over 400 Filipinos whose return on Sunday has been delayed until Japan clears them to travel

The vessel, docked in Yokohama, has the biggest cluster of coronavirus infections outside China’s Wuhan

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Relatives of Filipino crew members stranded on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship come out after meeting with a local employment agency for seafarers in Manila. Photo: AFP

Published: 9:11pm, 22 Feb 2020Updated: 12:27am, 19 Mar 2020

Families of hundreds of Filipino crew members still stuck on board the coronavirus-stricken Diamond Princess cruise ship are increasingly worried for their relatives’ health, as the Philippines postponed on Saturday a scheduled trip to bring them home.

The vessel, moored off the Japanese coast in Yokohama near Tokyo, has the biggest cluster of coronavirus infections outside the Chinese epicentre, with over 600 cases confirmed among the 3,700 passengers and crew.

While hundreds of travellers have disembarked more than 1,000 crew remain – including over 400 Filipinos whose return on Sunday has been delayed until Japan clears them to travel, the Philippines said on Saturday.

“[The task force] is adjusting the schedule out of an abundance of caution with a view of safeguarding the health and safety of our OFs (overseas Filipinos) onboard,” the health department said in a statement.

Adding to the families’ worry, a Philippine foreign ministry official said on Saturday 49 Filipinos on board have tested positive for the virus, two of whom were successfully treated and discharged from the hospital.

Norma Fajardo, whose daughter is part of the Diamond Princess security team, said the crew have been well treated and cared for, but she is worried her work makes her particularly vulnerable to the virus.

“We couldn’t do anything because she works in security so she has to monitor passengers,” Fajardo said.