Americans evacuating from coronavirus-stricken Diamond Princess cruise arrive in US
Two flights of American evacuees from the virus-stricken Diamond Princess cruise in Japan have touched down at US military bases.
The first plane landed around 11:30 p.m. Sunday local time at Travis Air Force Base in Northern California, while the second flight arrived at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas around two and a half hours later.
Utah business owner Karey Maniscalco, who was among the evacuees, said the rescue mission was seamless and officials “did everything in their power to make us feel at ease.”
“They kept saying that they knew we’ve been through a great ordeal and how stressed out we were and now we are safe,” she told CNN.
She along with around 340 other evacuees must now go through another 14 days of quarantine at the military facilities under guidance from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Maniscalco said the arrangements on the base were more “doable” than being isolated in their cruise cabins, where they had been under mandatory quarantine since Feb. 5.
“It’s a whole different feeling already,” she told the outlet. “We are not locked in a room anymore. We have a separate room for a TV, I have normal cell service. I don’t feel as much like as a prisoner.”
The State Department announced earlier that 14 of the evacuees were confirmed to have the coronavirus while en route.
They were isolated from other passengers on the flight, but it’s unclear where they are being treated after arriving at the bases.
Japanese officials reported Monday there are 454 cases of coronavirus among the ship’s 3,700 passengers and crew members.
With Post wires