British couple quarantined on cruise ship diagnosed with coronavirus

A British couple who have been quarantined on a cruise ship in Japan have revealed they have been diagnosed with COVID-19.

David and Sally Abel have been posting regular updates online from the Diamond Princess, which has been docked off the coast of Yokohama since 3 February.

In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Mr Abel said: “There is going to be a time of quiet. We have been proved positive and leaving for hospital soon. Blessings all.”

However Mr Abel, from Oxfordshire, later said he doubted the diagnosis because he and his wife were being taken to a hostel instead of a hospital.

He wrote on Facebook: “Frankly I think this is a setup! We are NOT being taken to a hospital but a hostel. That’s where partners are sent waiting out their quarantine.

“No phone, no wi-fi and no medical facilities. I really am smelling a very big rat here! Waiting for the transfer now..”

When asked if he was sure the test for COVID-19 was positive, Mr Abel replied: “I doubt it was positive. If it was, we would be in hospital.”

Business minister Kwasi Kwarteng said he understood Mr and Mrs Abel had been quarantined by Japanese authorities

He told Sky News’ Kay Burley @ Breakfast show: “This is a really, really serious outbreak – a serious case which people, through no fault of their own, have been exposed to this potentially lethal virus.

“What we’re trying to do as a government is try and get people back to Britain, fly them back so that they can be with their families.”

On Mr and Mrs Abel, Mr Kwarteng added: “It will be terrifying and very frightening but I think where they are is [with] the Japanese authorities. My understanding [is they] have essentially quarantined them and are looking after them.”

The Foreign Office says it is “working to organise a flight” back to the UK for British nationals on the coronavirus-hit cruise ship – and those trapped are being “strongly encouraged” to take it.

Those in quarantine on the Diamond Princess are being contacted to make the necessary arrangements, with a spokesperson adding: “We urge all those who have not yet responded to get in touch immediately.”

More than 70 British nationals have faced an anxious wait to find out whether they will be evacuated from the cruise liner.

The Foreign Office had come under increasing pressure to bring them home after the US chartered two planes to repatriate 340 of its citizens – 14 of whom had been diagnosed with COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.

Those who had tested positive were moved to the back of the plane in a “specialised containment area” to be isolated – even though they did not display any symptoms.

Approximately half of all known cases of COVID-19 outside China have been found aboard the Diamond Princess.

A total of 542 people have tested positive since the cruise liner was ordered to stay under quarantine on 3 February.

At least four Britons are among the confirmed cases.

The Japanese government has repeatedly defended the effectiveness of the quarantine but some scientists suggest that it may have been less than rigorous.

In a possible sign of lax quarantine protocols, three Japanese health officials who helped in the quarantine checks on the ship were also infected.

“I suspect people were not as isolated from other people as we would have thought,” said Dr. Paul Hunter, a professor of medicine at the University of East Anglia.

In a letter to those still stranded, the FCO said: “We strongly encourage British nationals on board Diamond Princess, or those passengers now in separate quarantine accommodation ashore, to take this opportunity to return to the UK on this flight.

“If you disembark from the ship before this British government organised evacuation, there is a risk that you may find it difficult to return by other commercial means.”

Affected Britons are being told that they will not be charged for the flight – however, they will need to sign an agreement to complete 14 days of “supported isolation” in the UK.

Those on board have been given until 8pm local time (11am UK time) to express an interest in taking the flight.

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In other developments:

• The director of a hospital in the Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak, has died
• There are now 73,336 suspected and confirmed cases of COVID-19 worldwide, with 1,874 deaths
• The number of new cases has fallen below 2,000 for the first time since 30 January
• World Health Organisation officials say “it’s too early to tell if this reported decline will continue”
• Apple says it will miss revenue targets after iPhone production and demand slowed down because of the epidemic
• Japan’s economy shrank at its fastest pace in more than five years at the end of 2019 – putting it on the brink of recession.

Holiday Inn near Heathrow Airport designated quarantine centre

The UK government has commandeered a hotel near Heathrow Airport for possible use as a quarantine zone for any people entering the country who may have been exposed to the coronavirus.

The Department of Health has confirmed that officials have block-booked every room at the nearby Holiday Inn, and that it has been temporarily closed to other guests.

The move is part of a number of contingency plans now being enacted to help cope with a more serious outbreak of COVID-19 in the UK, should one occur.

Officials have confirmed the number of people being tested for possible exposure to the virus has risen to 4,501, although the number testing positive for the virus has remained unchanged at nine.

Report about COVID-19 cases released

Health officials in China have released details about 45,000 confirmed and suspected cases of COVID-19 that originated in the country – saying that more than 80% were mild.

According to the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, critical illness has been reported in just 5% of cases.

Among confirmed cases, 2.8% of males have died – considerably more than the 1.7% fatality rate among women.

Although cases have been declining since 1 February, the report warns that this could change as people return to school and work after the Chinese holidays.

(c) Sky News 2020: British couple quarantined on cruise ship diagnosed with coronavirus