The Launceston woman onboard a cruise ship in the throes of a coronavirus outbreak has spoken of the uncertainty around what might be ahead for her and her fellow Australians who have been quarantined.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Alana Hoskinson, 59, is confined to a windowless cabin with her friend Diana Headlam, of Hervey Bay.
The Diamond Princess cruise liner and its 3600 passengers and crew departed Tokyo on January 20.
IN OTHER NEWS:
An 80-year-old Wuhan man who had the coronavirus disembarked the ship in Hong Kong on January 25. It's believed his presence on the ship led to 10 other passengers becoming infected, prompting the Diamond Princess to be placed in quarantine in the Japanese port of Yokohama.
As of Saturday, the number of infected passengers had risen to 64.
Ms Hoskinson said she was concerned that she and Ms Headlam didn't know what was in store for them.
"If we were to get sick we have no idea where they would take us as the [medical] facilities here are getting full," she said. "It's a really scary thought to be taken away to who knows where."
"When the quarantine is finally lifted, how the hell do we get home?"
There are 223 Australians quarantined on the ship, with a total of seven understood to have tested positive for the virus.
On Friday, it was revealed the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade was planning to evacuate Australians currently in Wuhan, the epicentre of the virus, to a quarantine centre in Darwin.
Ms Hoskinson said she hoped that the Australians onboard the Diamond Princess would also be evacuated to the Northern Territory. More than 250 Australians are now quarantined on Christmas Island.
RELATED:
Ms Hoskinson and the other Australians onboard the Diamond Princess received an email from the Australian Embassy in Tokyo on Saturday, which said the embassy remained in close contact with Japanese authorities and Carnival Cruises about quarantine arrangements on the ship.
"The advice at this stage from the Japanese authorities is that the quarantine period is set to expire on 19 February 2020," the email read. "The embassy has received queries regarding disembarkation and procedures for returning to Australia."
"This is an evolving situation, so we are unable to offer definitive advice at this stage regarding dates or procedures."
Rob Inglis
Rob Inglis is a reporter with The Examiner, covering state and federal politics. He is based in Hobart.
Rob Inglis is a reporter with The Examiner, covering state and federal politics. He is based in Hobart.
