Four of the Britons evacuated from the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan have tested positive for coronavirus after returning to the UK. Despite a series of checks by the Department of Health, new cases have developed leaving fellow passengers fearing for their own health.
The passengers were relieved to be given the all clear and flown back after more than two weeks trapped on the cruise ship off Japan.
However, health officials confirmed yesterday that tests at Arrowe Park Hospital in the Wirral – where 32 passengers were being quarantined – showed four passengers had contracted the deadly strain of the coronavirus.
The Department of Health said a “full infectious disease risk assessment” was carried out before the repatriation flight and nobody who boarded had displayed any symptoms.
However, the new cases flown back from Japan have brought the UK total to 13, causing experts to fear a pandemic is on the horizon.
The latest cases to be confirmed were among the 30 Britons and two Irish citizens who were flown back to the UK on Saturday evening.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, sources said that passengers were “shocked” by the news and that the two-week quarantine “had got off to the worst possible start”.
Now, some of those on the flight back from Japan told of their fury about spending hours sat with infected people.
Sky News reported it had seen messages shared between the evacuees saying there was “mounting anger” over the new cases.
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Director general of the World Health Organization Tedros Adhanom warned that the international community needed to act fast before the situation became a pandemic.
The Coronavirus has already killed more than 2,400 people in China and continues to endanger the lives of thousands of others globally.
The World Health Organisation has confirmed the virus has spread to 26 countries and territories outside China.
Mr Adhanom said: “Although the window of opportunity is narrowing to contain the outbreak, we still have a chance to contain it.
“If we don’t, if we squander the opportunity, then there will be a serious problem on our hands.”
Ian Mackay, virus expert at Australia’s University of Queensland, warned a global “pandemic” is on the way as the number of hotspots increases.
He said: “A number of spot fires, occurring around the world is a sign that things are ticking along.
“What we are going to have here is probably a pandemic.”
“If we don’t, if we squander the opportunity, then there will be a serious problem on our hands.”
Ian Mackay, virus expert at Australia’s University of Queensland, warned a global “pandemic” is on the way as the number of hotspots increases.
He said: “A number of spot fires, occurring around the world is a sign that things are ticking along.
“What we are going to have here is probably a pandemic.”