Gilded Cage: Life On The Coronavirus-Afflicted Cruise Ship
- By Amos Chapple
As the coronavirus spreads through a cruise ship called the Diamond Princess, photographs -- some shared exclusively with RFE/RL -- capture the eerie atmosphere aboard.
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Men in protective clothing walk inside the Diamond Princess cruise ship. Nearly 3,700 people have been confined to the vessel since some passengers were diagnosed with the highly contagious coronavirus on February 4.
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The Diamond Princess is currently moored off the port of Yokohama, Japan with police vessels patrolling to stop civilians from getting too close.
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Workers disinfect an elevator inside the Diamond Princess. A crew member aboard the vessel told RFE/RL: "Horror. I can't believe this is going on aboard my ship." Infections on the ship continue to rise.
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The view from the deck of the ship. Some 136 people aboard, including 11 crew members, have been diagnosed with coronavirus. At least one is a Ukrainian citizen.
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Passengers on the decks on the Diamond Princess. According to a crew member who spoke to RFE/RL, the vast majority of the passengers are over 50 years old. Coronavirus is known to kill mostly elderly or weak patients.
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A gangplank being covered by a tarpaulin before dozens of infected passengers were evacuated from the vessel on February 10. While passengers still quarantined aboard the ship are kept informed and have been offered compensation, a crew member told RFE/RL that very little information had been given to the crew. Staff have not been told the names of infected colleagues removed from the vessel and isolated for medical treatment.
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Hand sanitizer and an empty box of rubber gloves. Such stations are dotted throughout the vessel.
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A crew member of the Diamond Princess talks to a worker in protective gear. Crew and passengers are now required to wear gloves and a face mask at all times when outside their cabins.
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A meal served to a passenger aboard the quarantined cruise ship. Since the quarantine began one week ago, staff have twice been allowed to buy bottles from the bar to drink in their quarters -- a perk usually only permitted twice a month.
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A Japanese team back on land after visiting the Diamond Princess. Some passengers have raised concerns that the little-understood disease might be transmitted through the ship's ventilation system or through food.
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Passengers on deck. Those aboard the Diamond Princess have been mostly confined to their rooms, with occasional walks in the fresh air permitted. On February 9, the U.S. Embassy in Japan said there was "no current evidence to suggest that the virus spreads between rooms on a ship through the air-handling system."
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One of several printed quotes that have been pasted around the vessel since the quarantine began, saying, "Resilience is based on compassion for ourselves as well as compassion for others."
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A view from on board the vessel. According to the Princess Cruises' management, the quarantine is scheduled to end on February 19, when all aboard will be allowed to return home "unless there are any other unforeseen developments."
