Ottawa: The Government of Canada has chartered a plane to repatriate Canadians on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship docked in Yokohama, Japan.
This decision was taken because of the extraordinary circumstances faced by passengers on the Diamond Princess which has an outbreak of Covid-19. Canada is working closely with Carnival Cruise Lines and the Government of Japan to assist in this evacuation, said a government media release.
Meanwhile, the crew of the second plane which brought home Canadians from Wuhan, too, has been released, said the Public Health Agency.
Diamond Princess passengers also will be flown to Canadian Forces Base Trenton, after which they will be assessed and transported to the NAV Canada Training Institute in Cornwall, Ontario, to undergo a further 14-day period of quarantine.
Before boarding in Japan, passengers will be screened for symptoms. Those who exhibit symptoms of Covid-19 will not be permitted to board and will instead be transferred to the Japanese health system to receive appropriate care.
Those who remain in Japan will continue to receive full consular services.
In addition to experts from the Public Health Agency of Canada and Canadian Armed Forces medical personnel, four members of the Standing Rapid Deployment Team (SRDT) are on the ground in Tokyo to assist Canadians during this difficult time.
We will continue to provide more information on travel plans for returning to Canada as it becomes available. In the meantime, we ask all Canadians aboard the Diamond Princess to continue to follow recommendations for protecting their health and the health of others while under Japanese quarantine, the release said..
Canadians in countries affected by Covid-19 are encouraged to sign up with the Registration of Canadians Abroad service to receive the latest updates from the Government of Canada.
“The Government of Canada will help Canadians return home following the outbreak of Covid-19 on the Diamond Princess. Our public health experts on the ground will continue to assist Canadians who are currently under quarantine in Japan or in hospital undergoing treatment,” said Patty Hajdu, Minister of Health.