Japan cruise passenger tested positive for the virus 3 days after going home

The Japanese government is bombarded with criticism as a Japanese woman tested positive for COVID-19 after disembarking from the cruise ship and going home.

A woman in her 60s who was on board the Diamond Princess docked in Yokohama and went home on Wednesday was confirmed to have the virus on Saturday, according to The Asahi Shimbun. She tested negative for the virus on Feb. 15 and the Japanese government allowed her to go home on Feb. 19. She went to the Tochigi prefecture from Yokohama on a public transport, and reportedly went outside once. But she developed a fever on Friday and tested positive the next day. There is a possibility of 970 other passengers who went home between Wednesday and Friday would test positive as well. The Tokyo Shimbun reported Sunday that the Japanese government lost credibility.

The Japanese government is being criticized for allowing civil servants who were on the ship to go back to work. The Asahi Shimbun reported Sunday that 25 out of 41 staff of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare who were on board got back to work. Two staff members of the ministry and the Cabinet Secretariat who boarded the ship on Thursday tested positive for the virus. The Japanese government announced to test all staff of the ministry who were onboard after being criticized by the press.


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