From his cabin, Kent had a magnificent view of Mount
Fuji and the open seas. Now the ship had turned, and Rebecca was gone. Kent
could only see an ugly port filled with ambulances and men in sci-fi type
suits.
The quarantined passengers soon formed a Facebook
group. Unfortunately, it was flooded with complaints and conspiracy theories.
Kent used the FB messenger to chat with Rebecca. They exchanged pictures of
their meals. Kent could opt for stir fry with chicken or stir fry with tofu. At
the Tokyo hospital, Rebecca was given fish, rice and pickles. She was feeling
all right, but was told she would be there for at least 14 days. She had
stopped talking to doctors and nurses, who spoke only Japanese. Kent and
Rebecca started getting nasty messages on their Facebook walls, asking them not
to come back and spread the virus among innocent Americans.
On 9 February, Jan Swartz, CEO of the shipping
company, promised the passengers a full refund and a free cruise in the future.
Also during the quarantine booze became free.
The passengers learned more about their ship from CNN
than from their captain. When Rebecca had left for the hospital, Diamond Princess
had 61 cases. In a week the number had grown to 285. Kent heard some of his neighbors
recording messages on their phones. Spencer Fehrenbacher, a 29-year old from Vancouver,
had recorded: “If you’re
seeing this video, I have tested positive for the Coronavirus and am being
taken to a Japanese hospital somewhere. I’m making this video just as a way of
saying ‘hi’, saying, you know, ‘I love you’ to my family and friends, and just
making this in advance in case I don’t have time to…in case.”
Kent formed a WhatsApp group with twenty others he had
met at the Quiz Time. The group took it upon themselves to procure fresh towels
and bed-linen. Service of any sort was hard to come by.
The ship had more than 400 Americans. On 16 February,
an American rescue team arrived. This was the first mission in US history where
American citizens would be evacuated from a cruise ship, amid an epidemic
outbreak. Each American was identified from the ship’s manifest and spoken to.
Kent could not see the person, but an official American accent was promising.
‘My wife is in a Tokyo hospital. I hope you can
evacuate us both.’ He said.
‘We are not allowed to take anyone from the hospital.
But you…’
‘I will not leave without my wife. I would appreciate if
you can send me to Tokyo. I have tested negative. I would like to be closer to
my wife, and not here. I am losing my mind.’
‘Let me check,’ said the voice. ‘Mr Frazer, your
quarantine counter was reset when your wife tested positive. Until 21 February,
you are not allowed to leave the ship, I am sorry.’
Later, Kent saw from his cabin more than 300 Americans
in masks leaving in buses for the airport. (To
be continued…)
Ravi
Indians too are aware of their rights but not of the responsibility
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