Coronavirus: at least 102 Hongkongers on Diamond Princess cruise in Japan to be brought home on chartered flight
- First flight delayed as authorities say they plan to bring as many people as possible home from initial 45, with some who earlier declined offer changing minds
- City officials express impatience with pace of processing by Japanese authorities, who are prioritising screening according to age
At least 102 Hongkongers quarantined for more than two weeks on board the coronavirus-stricken cruise ship Diamond Princess in Japan were set to be brought home on a chartered flight early on Thursday morning, but there was no word on more than 200 others still trapped by the biggest outbreak of Covid-19 outside mainland China.
The scramble to evacuate them from the cruise ship came as the city reported its second coronavirus death – an elderly patient with underlying health issues.
While Hong Kong has confirmed 65 infections so far, the Covid-19 death toll on the mainland has surged past 2,000 and the number of cases now stands at almost 74,200.
In the early hours of Thursday, Hong Kong Director of Immigration Erick Tsang Kwok-wai said at Tokyo’s Haneda airport that 102 Hongkongers from the ship were boarding the first arranged flight home.
Keeping those who have not been infected in this dumpster is a big loophole
“We will try to allow as many people as we can to board the flight and return to Hong Kong, and some of them who earlier refused the offer had changed their minds,” Tsang said.