Crew members aboard the coronavirus-hit Diamond Princess cruise ship had continued contact with infected passengers even following a government request on Feb. 5 that passengers self-quarantine in their rooms, a Japanese crew member said in a recent phone interview.
“Crew members did not limit their movements, and interacted with passengers who had tested positive for the virus. Other than wearing protective face masks, infection prevention measures were left to the crew,” said the crew member — who asked to remain anonymous — in the first detailed testimony by personnel of the ship where nearly 700 people became infected.
The crew member stayed in a facility in Saitama Prefecture following disembarking from the ship at the end of February, and has not complained of feeling unwell.
The crew member, who requested that their age and gender not be revealed, said they were in charge of providing guidance to sick passengers visiting the medical room and to infected passengers disembarking from the U.S.-operated, British-flagged Diamond Princess. Other crew members distributed medicine and served meals to passengers in their rooms and were involved in 24 hour patrols, they said.
