‘Closed windows, no fresh air’: family members of infected Hongkongers feel helpless under extended coronavirus quarantine on Diamond Princess cruise ship

Sons of two couples appeal to city authorities to help their elderly mothers with chronic illnesses, after fathers confirmed with Covid-19 and hospitalised

Concerns aired over living conditions on ship docked in Japan, and hospital treatment for those infected, with claims of lack of relevant drugs

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A photo of a cabin with a window that cannot be opened on board the Diamond Princess, provided by a passenger.

Published: 9:10pm, 19 Feb 2020Updated: 9:11pm, 19 Feb 2020

Some Hongkongers stranded on board the coronavirus-hit Diamond Princess cruise liner in Japan will not have a chance to board chartered flights home as they are on extended quarantine after family members were confirmed to be infected.

Among this group are two elderly women, aged 69 and 70, who started a 14-day quarantine on the ship with their spouses on February 5, one day after it docked in Yokohama. They were expecting to disembark on Wednesday, but were asked to remain on board until March 1 as their loved ones had tested positive three days ago for the virus, which causes the disease known as Covid-19.

It remained unclear if Hong Kong or Japanese authorities had issued the order for the women, their sons said at a press conference.

(From left) Cheng and Chan, sons of passengers on the Diamond Princess. Photo: Dickson Lee

Speaking to the media in Hong Kong, the couples’ family members said they were worried the women would also get infected if they stayed on the ship any longer, while a shortage of medicine on board also added to their concerns.

They urged the Hong Kong government to arrange extra flights for their mothers and those in a similar situation.