Western Quebec couple who beat coronavirus back in Canada
CBC News | Posted: March 4, 2020 3:50 PM | Last Updated: March 4, 2020
Diane and Bernard Ménard arrived in Ottawa Tuesday night
Diane and Bernard Ménard, whose Asian cruise ended in a serious health scare in a Japanese military hospital, returned to Ottawa Tuesday night.
The couple from Cantley, Que., north of Gatineau, were among the more than 700 people who contracted COVID-19 aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship off the coast of Japan.
The 75-year-olds tested positive for the respiratory illness in mid-February after expressing concern about the precautions on the ship. They were then placed in separate isolated chambers and allowed to communicate by walkie-talkie.
Bernard Ménard tested negative for the illness last Wednesday, while his wife was cleared Saturday.
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"There are no words to describe our joy," said their daughter, Chantal Ménard, in a Facebook post showing their arrival at the Ottawa International Airport.
The family declined an interview on Wednesday.
Other passengers from the cruise are poised to finish a 14-day quarantine at the Nav Centre in Cornwall, Ont., on Friday.