Posted on 03/02/2020 5:09:53 PM PST by nickcarraway
When California lawyers Matthew Smith and Katherine Codekas checked into a hotel in Tokyo last weekend, they decided not to hide where they had been.
The couple, along with about 900 other passengers, were released from Feb 19 to 21 after a two-week quarantine on the Diamond Princess cruise ship, where a coronavirus outbreak has left more than 700 people infected and killed four Japanese nationals.
Foreign governments evacuated hundreds of their citizens, including about 300 United States nationals, and imposed 14 more days quarantine. But Smith and his wife were not among them.
Smith led a mutiny of about 50 Americans who refused to fly "coronavirus class" with "hazmat astronauts" on the government's converted cargo plane over concerns of sharing a long flight with potentially infected passengers.
Japan did not impose another quarantine upon about 800 Japanese nationals and an estimated 100 foreigners who chose to stay in Japan. Critics say the authorities moved the viral "petri-dish" from the ship into the general public.
Health minister Katsunobu Kato said this week that at least 45 of the 800 released Japanese passengers have reported fevers after disembarking, and at least 23 others were not properly tested.
Officials of foreign governments also reported that at least 42 Americans, seven Hongkongers, seven Australians, four Britons and one Israeli have tested positive after they were repatriated.
The admission comes amid a rising wave of public discontent and concerns by experts that Japan's limited virus-testing capability is masking the true extent of the problem in the country. The number of confirmed infected stands at 186, excluding the Diamond Princess cases.
Smith said hotel staff gave him and his wife masks and have been leaving food outside their door. Smith has tweeted photos of Tokyo Tower and a dining tour of Japanese, Italian, Vietnamese and other restaurants.
During his period of quarantine on the Diamond Princess, he also shared images of the food served on board.
Some have called him an "Ugly American" for possibly spreading the coronavirus around Tokyo, where officials have cancelled classes, concerts and sporting events for at least two weeks.
Smith, who says he reports his temperature daily to the US Centre for Disease Control (CDC), defended himself on Thursday night, saying: "I'm not infected. What are you spreading?"
"Ignorance must really suck. We are not under quarantine," he also said.
The lawyer said he and his wife did not leave their luxury suite and balcony on the Diamond Princess for two weeks, and that they felt healthy from the delicious food and Tokyo Bay air. Finding a disembarkation permit in his door, he declared: "Tokyo, here we come!" Many joined him.
Many released Hong Kong passengers received a similar letter. As they left the ship, Princess Cruises executives led them to taxis or buses that took them to train stations.
Carlos Soto Pineda, a lecturer at Hong Kong University, took his wife and son to a hotel in Tokyo's bustling Shinjuku ward.
His wife Yardley Wong, who gained global media attention and more than 4,000 Twitter followers during her ordeal in a tiny windowless cabin, posted photos of pedestrians, a shop and a restaurant where she had noodles and beer.
While some on Twitter accused her of threatening public health, she said she was following instructions from the Japanese government and Princess Cruises.
The next day, Pineda shared a picture of a new disembarkation order given to another round of departing passengers, telling them to "stay home unless absolutely necessary". Wong's photos showed her following those orders and isolating inside their hotel.
Since they no longer had a room on the ship, they spent another night in Tokyo waiting for the release of their parents, aunt and uncle. The family of seven then boarded the government's second charter flight to Hong Kong. At least four passengers on that flight later tested positive in Hong Kong.
Wong, who had earlier hoped to be quarantined at their Kowloon town house, said her family was healthy and resting in the government's quarantine buildings in Fo Tan, which were better than their expectations.
The Hong Kong government repatriated 218 Hongkongers on three charter flights, and 25 others took commercial flights from Tokyo back to the city. It was not clear if flight crew or passengers knew they were sitting among survivors of the contaminated cruise ship.
Smith said it should not matter, because freed passengers had been tested more than almost anyone else.
Smith said he planned to spend at least another week in Japan, since the US Centre for Disease Control had barred him from entering the country until at least March 4.
Asked if he would go on another cruise, he said: "Yes. What are the odds of us encountering anything close to this again?"
I have a sneaking suspicion that the Chinese numbers might be correct. Not because Xi Jinping is an honest man, but because the overwrought Chinese response might simply be Xi’s response to the pressures placed on him because of factional rivalries. Why does a quasi-emperor figure like Xi even have any pressures from the ant hill he bestrides? Isn’t he a queen ant, a living god who not only commands unconditional obedience, but the literal worship of the drones who live to kiss his feet and otherwise pay obeisance to His Awesomeness? For a long and complicated explanation, read this entry about the complicated dynamics that belie the surface calm of life at the top in China:
http://freerepublic.com/focus/news/3820772/posts?page=26#26
Another episode of Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. That’s so glamorous.
There were two Americans interviewed who admitted they LIED about having been tested and being negative just to avoid quarantine.
On this cruise, the ship comedian fled the boat and was fired.
Indeed. Go big or go home, or better to overreact than under-react. Also, communist China has constantly ruled the nation by campaign or “struggle” so there are benefits to having everyone moving to a campaign you control
That is why this whole self quarantine is total BS..can’t rely on people to actually stay put..yeah you promise to be a good girl/boy and stay home, dont leave for 2 weeks, put a camera on their house and watch how fast they bail
So, who knows, they might find themselves back in quarantine coming back from Japan now. Everything is constantly evolving. They might have saved themselves time just coming back on CoronaAir.
Yes. And it’s up to 24 days incubation.
It’s going to be a year to get a shot for it. Meanwhile, it’ll kill 20,000-50,000 like the flu does.
Men and Asians are 5x more likely to get it.
No deaths of kids under 9.
Governor Kemp(Of Georgia) is gonna have a press conference in an hour..my guess, someone tested positive
My suggestion is ANYONE who has come off a plane from Italy, South Korea, any affected country has to be put in a facility that can hold them for 30 days, give them food, clothing, whatever they need for 30 days..I dont trust for one second these people are self quarantining
Keep us pinged, please.
Thank you.
Not sure if you have twitter but this twitter feed gives daily coronavirus updates
https://twitter.com/BNODesk
“Men and Asians are 5x more likely to get it.”
Source?
These Americans, or at least residents of America, are wearing getaway masks.
https://twitter.com/GKeile/status/1234621745753137162
[“Men and Asians are 5x more likely to get it.”
Source?]
Here’s a clue as to the impact of viruses originating in China on China itself vs outside of China:
There’s no magic here. People whose ancestors have been eating exotic animals and getting infected by pathogens thereof for thousands of years are going to have superior immunity. The genetic lineages that were vulnerable got very sick and died out. They left far fewer or no descendants.
One of the studies. I’m not google. They can’t talk about race unless it’s to blame Trump for racism but the science is there.
If they test positive with the new CDC test.
Give them the choice of staying home with an ankle gps bracelet or monitored group isolation.
One third of the ‘refugees’ in my State take tuberculosis meds and have to be observed taking the pills by a nurse - because they can’t be trusted to do it on their own. Yet we’re supposed to trust people to self-quarantine?
Judge flew in from Italy to N.Ohio. Says she’s self quarantine. But her daughter is sick in France.
What Judge? Damn that sucks hope her daughter is going to be OK
People are such idiots.
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