US to evacuate Americans from cruise ship quarantined at Japan port

Feb. 16, 2020

The United States said on Saturday it will send aircraft to Japan to bring back American passengers on the quarantined cruise ship Diamond Princess, where the most coronavirus infections outside China have occurred.

The US Embassy in Tokyo said in a letter on Saturday to passengers that chartered aircraft would arrive in Japan on Sunday evening and that it recommended "out of an abundance of caution" that US citizens disembark and return home for further monitoring.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said there are approximately 400 US citizens onboard the Diamond Princess.

The passengers will be required to undergo further quarantine of 14 days upon arriving in the United States and if they choose not to return on the aircraft, they would not be able to return home "for a period of time," the letter said.

"We understand this is frustrating and an adjustment, but these measures are consistent with the careful policies we have instituted to limit the potential spread of the disease," it said.

In a statement, the CDC said all of the travelers from Japan will be screened before boarding the State Department-chartered aircraft "to prevent symptomatic travelers from departing Japan."

"The passengers will be screened before leaving the ship and monitored and evaluated by medical and public health personnel every step of the way, including before takeoff, during the flight and after arrival," the CDC said.