More Aussies on board cruise ship diagnosed with coronavirus as second Wuhan evacuation flight planned
Five more Australians on board a cruise ship have the deadly coronavirus, as a second evacuation flight to the bug’s Chinese epicentre is reportedly unable to accommodate everyone.
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Five Australians are understood to be among 41 new coronavirus cases from onboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship.
The new cases raise the number of confirmed infections on board the ship to at least 61, Japan’s Health Minister Katsunobu Kato said.
Japanese authorities have tested 273 people on board the Diamond Princess, which was quarantined after a former passenger, who disembarked in Hong Kong last month, tested positive for the virus.
“The results of the remaining 171 tests came out and 41 tested positive,” Kato said.
“Today they will be sent to hospitals in several prefectures, and we are now preparing for that.”
“In total, out of 273 specimens, 61 tested positive,” he added.
The ABC reports the Australians who have most recently tested positive for the virus are not considered to be in a serious condition.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Australians are among the 41, but couldn’t confirm ABC reports of five cases.
“A number of additional cases have been confirmed amongst the Australians on that vessel, which is up in Japan and they are getting consular support,” he said in Townsville.
They have been transferred to medical facilities in Japan along with two other Australian passengers who had previously been confirmed as having the virus. About 3700 people remain on the ship and face a fortnight in quarantine, with 171 tests on passengers still pending.
SECOND QANTAS EVACUATION FLIGHT PLANNED
A second flight is on its way to evacuate Australians from China amid reports more cruise ship passengers have been infected with coronavirus in Japan.
The Qantas plane took off about 12.30pm AEDT today. It will land in Hong Kong for a brief stop over before flying on to Wuhan, the Chinese city at the centre of the outbreak.
The evacuees will be taken to a mining camp near Darwin after the government was told the Christmas Island facility currently housing around 270 evacuees could not properly segregate the next group.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison warned people not to assume further evacuation flights will be possible, either from Wuhan or mainland China.
“If you are there, then there are still commercial flights coming out of China, mainland China to Australia and I strongly suggest you avail yourself of those,” Mr Morrison said.
“The government cannot guarantee that similar types of assisted flights would be able to be put on in the future either into the mainland or Wuhan.”
Nine Newspapers reports told passengers in an email that the number of people wanting to return to Australia was “far more” than there were seats available on the emergency flight.
TWO WUHAN NEWBORNS INFECTED
Meanwhile, China’s deadly coronavirus has infected two babies in the virus-ravaged city of Wuhan, with one diagnosed at just 30 hours old.
The youngest was born on February 2, but how the child became infected was unclear.
“The baby was immediately separated from the mother after the birth and has been under artificial feeding. There was no close contact with the parents, yet it was diagnosed with the disease,” Zeng Lingkong, director of neonatal diseases at Wuhan Children’s Hospital, told Chinese TV.
Zeng said other infected mothers have given birth to babies who tested negative, so it is not yet known if the virus can be transmitted in the womb.
It comes as the Chinese doctor who attempted to issue the first warnings about the outbreak in Wuhan – only to be reprimanded by police – died from coronavirus.
“We’re deeply saddened by the passing of Dr. Li Wenliang,” the World Health Organisation said on Twitter.
“We all need to celebrate work that he did on #2019nCoV,” it added, using the medical term for the disease.
Li’s pregnant wife is believed to also have contracted the disease, according to reports.
The 34-year-old ophthalmologist at Wuhan Central Hospital sent out a warning in messaging app WeChat on December 30, warning fellow medical school grads to wear protective clothing to avoid infection after several patients from a seafood market exhibited symptoms similar to SARS.
He was one of eight whistleblowers who tried to sound the alarm about the novel virus but was denounced by authorities for “rumor-mongering.”
He was summoned to the Public Security Bureau to sign a letter in which he was accused of making “false comments” that had “severely disturbed the social order.”
AUSSIES TRAVELLING TO CHINA
Australians are still travelling to China despite being warned not to as the coronavirus death toll surpasses 560.
Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton said people were “frankly putting themselves in a difficult situation” by ignoring travel warnings and advice from national officials as “you can’t guarantee their return”.
“They would find it very hard to get back to Australia in certain circumstances and you can’t guarantee their return, particularly if China shuts its borders,” he said.
“Putting yourself into that zone makes for a very difficult situation.”
The virus has killed 565 people and infected more than 28,000 worldwide.
Australian diplomats are working with Chinese officials to allow another evacuation flight from Wuhan.
WHO’S EMERGENCY FORUM FOR GLOBAL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS
The World Health Organisation will be speeding up research and innovation on the deadly coronavirus outbreak in an international action forum.
The forum, set to be held in Geneva on February 11 and 12, will bring together leading scientists, public health agencies, ministries of health and research funders pursuing the development of vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics.
It has been organised in collaboration with the Global Research Collaboration for Infectious Disease Preparedness.
Harnessing the power of science is critical for bringing the #2019nCoV outbreak under control. @WHO is convening a global research & innovation forum to mobilize international action in response to the new coronavirus. https://t.co/2BQCtBBl5V pic.twitter.com/HOBu3N54iN
— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) February 6, 2020
Participants will discuss several areas of research – including identifying the source of the virus as well as sharing of biological samples and genetic sequences – and experts will build on existing SARS and MERS coronavirus research.
WHO director-general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said: “There are questions we need answers to, and tools we need developed as quickly as possible. WHO is playing an important co-ordinating role by bringing the scientific community together to identify research priorities and accelerate progress.”
Today I briefed media again about the #2019nCoV outbreak & informed them that on February 11-12, @WHO is convening a global research & innovation forum to identify research priorities & coordinate the international research effort to stop the outbreak. https://t.co/G6d7PJjaCN
— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) February 6, 2020
NEW AUSTRALIAN CASE OF CORONAVIRUS
A fifth member of a Chinese tour group has tested positive to the Wuhan coronavirus in Queensland.
The 37-year-old woman is the 15th person in Australia diagnosed with the new virus, which is concerning health authorities across the globe.
She is in isolation in the Gold Coast University Hospital.
The woman flew into the Gold Coast from Melbourne on January 27 with eight other members of the tour group.
Five of them, including an eight-year-old boy, have since tested positive to the novel coronavirus, which has infected more than 28,000 people and killed 565 people.
All Queensland cases are listed as stable.
The Chinese tour group has been in quarantine since a 44-year-old male member was diagnosed on January 29.
They travelled from Wuhan, in China’s central Hubei Province, via Singapore, into Melbourne, on January 22.
All of Australia’s 15 cases so far have originated in Wuhan, except one in NSW who had contact in China with a confirmed case Wuhan, population about 11 million.
Apart from the five cases diagnosed Queensland, four people have tested positive in Victoria, four in NSW and two in South Australia.
The death toll from the coronavirus has now reached 492, mostly in mainland China, with 24,000 infected worldwide.
MORE EVACUEES ARRIVE ON CHRISTMAS ISLAND
Yesterday, a plane carrying 35 Australian evacuees from the epicentre of Wuhan landed on Christmas Island. Several young children were among the evacuees who landed about 5am local time (9am AEDT).
The evacuees did not enter the airport terminal. They were loaded on to buses to be taken directly to the Christmas Island Detention Centre where 241 evacuees who arrived on Monday are being held in quarantine.
The evacuees were all wearing face masks as they walked the short distance from the plane to three waiting minibuses.
Crews including AUSMAT medical specialists greeted them on the tarmac before they were driven out to the detention centre.
They will be there for at least the next two weeks as they are screened for the deadly coronavirus.
The evacuees had been flown from Wuhan – the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak – to Auckland on Wednesday before boarding a flight via Brisbane to Christmas Island.
This could be the last plane load of evacuees to be brought to Christmas Island with the Federal Government already looking at options on the mainland, amid fear thousands of Australians who have been in coronavirus-affected areas may need to be placed in quarantine.
AUSSIES’ CRUISE CRISIS AS TOT LEFT IN CHINA
Paul and Jacqui Fidrmuc, from Cairns in Queensland, said the Diamond Princess ship was quiet after the alarming news broke first broke.
Ms Fidrmuc told the Today show on Tursday: “We are just kind of sitting tight really.”
“It’s a little bit daunting. But look, we can’t do anything … We are good strong healthy people and we’ve got good immune systems and fingers crossed that … we can fight it off.”
There were more than 3,700 passengers and crew on the ship when it arrived off Japan’s coast on Monday evening. Since then, 61 passengers have tested positive for the coronavirus, including seven Austarlians.
It docked in Yokohama on Thursday to resupply for a quarantine that could last until February 19.
More than 1800 passengers aboard another cruise ship, the World Dream, were also being tested for the virus after three people produced positive results.
Dream Cruises confirmed to News Corp that there are 15 Australian guests and one crew member on board World Dream.
“As advised by the Department of Health, all passengers of the ship must receive temperature checking and conduct health declaration prior to disembarkation,” a spokesman told News Corp.
The spokesman said 33 crew members received testing on the novel coronavirus, all results were negative. The remainder of the crew had temperature checks, all results were normal.
“At present, we are in the process of temperature checking and health declaration for the guests on board,” the spokesman said.
Earlier, Melbourne engineer Yuchen Cao told the ABC that Australian authorities are refusing to evacuate her young daughter from Wuhan.
Her toddler Chloe was due to return home on January 4 after visiting her paternal grandparents. But Chinese authorities had her passport for visa purposes, and she could not return with her parents.
Ms Cao said they planned to bring Chloe home after they returned to China for Chinese New Year Celebrations. But two days before their January 26 flight, Wuhan was put into lockdown, suspending everything from buses and subways, to air travel.
Australia then imposed a travel ban denying people entry who departed from or passed through China. But evacuations were organised for Australians stuck in Wuhan.
Despite Chloe’s Australia citizenship entitling her to evacuation, Ms Cao said authorities have refused to bring her home because she is an unaccompanied minor.
They will not allow her to travel home with her grandparents because they are not Australian citizens.
“Our request for help just fell on deaf ears,” Ms Cao told the ABC.
“The Chinese authorities said they will allow my daughter to be evacuated with my parents if the Australian Government permitted.
“But we felt helpless when Australian authorities simply shifted their responsibility to other departments.
“We don’t know if there is any internal communication between different departments.”
QLD EXPANDS CHINA VIRUS TESTING
It was announced coronavirus testing would be expanded in Queensland with private pathologists now authorised to collect samples from anyone who may have been exposed.
Pathologists across the state will send samples to be tested by Forensic and Scientific Services in Brisbane, Health Minister Steven Miles told parliament on Wednesday.
Testing is only effective once a patient has symptoms.
Queensland’s premier says the virus is taking an economic toll, and she’s sparked a funding skirmish with Canberra.
“Our tourism industry is already suffering enormous losses because of cancelled bookings,” Annastacia Palaszczuk told parliament.
“The fishing industry, higher education, farming are all naturally concerned.”
Ms Palaszczuk wrote to Prime Minister Scott Morrison seeking disaster relief funding – used in the aftermath of fires, cyclones and floods – but the request was denied.
Disaster funding does not cover infectious disease outbreaks. However, Ms Palaszczuk has told representatives of the state’s agriculture, tourism, transport, aquaculture and resources industries she believes the virus’s impact should be treated on par with natural disasters. “So, we’re in this together. All of you here, me, the government,” she said.
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has also written to state treasurers warning that the short-term economic shock from coronavirus may be worse than during the SARS outbreak in 2003.
INSIDE AUSSIES’ CORONAVIRUS CRUISE NIGHTMARE
Life has turned into a nightmare for those aboard the Diamond Princess docked in the Japanese port of Yokohama after it was placed under quarantine.
Photographs and video posted on Twitter showed masked health workers clad in blue plastic gowns walking down empty corridors on the Diamond Princess as well as views of deserted lounges and a barren deck.
Carnival’s Princess Cruises Japan said on Tuesday that cruises scheduled to depart from Yokohama and the western Japanese port of Kobe this week would be cancelled because of delays related to the coronavirus checks.
British passenger David Abel was among the passengers quarantined on board the cruise ship.
In a message to Storyful, Mr Abel said blood samples were being analysed.
“Results will be known around 1am local time and an announcement will be made at 8am,” Mr Abel told Storyful.
“The cruise that should have commenced yesterday has been cancelled and we are anchored in the bay, not able to get ashore. Quarantine could be anything from 24 hours to 14 days.”
Pictures taken by Mr Abel also showed the just a few people scattered throughout the cruise ship’s spacious interior.
Unstaffed reception desks could be seen in what Mr Abel described as “usually a busy thoroughfare”, while quarantine officials could be seen wearing face masks on deck five.
The bar was pictured almost empty, and it was a similar sight in the gaming room where just one person could be seen passing through.
In a video, Mr Abel said the atmosphere on board was “a little bit strange”.
“It’s quieter atmosphere. There are not many people in the public areas,” he said.
“A lot of the passengers are staying in their cabins out of choice.
“At meal times we do use the dining room. The captain and the staff are very particular about regular announcements on personal hygiene, like washing our hands in hot soapy water.”
He said passengers were required to agree to wear a face mask in all public places.
“But where do you get a face mask when you’re stuck on a ship? We were in quarantine … so I went down to the ship’s medical centre and they kindly gave us a number of masks,” he said.
“But I was told they would do us no good whatsoever. They will prevent something from flying into your mouth, but in regard catching something, they’re not going to be adequate.
“So the majority of people are not wearing masks, and that includes the ship’s staff and the medical team.”
- with wires