Fredericton couple quarantined on cruise ship will return to Canada

A Fredericton couple who have been stranded aboard a cruise ship in Japan because of the coronavirus will be heading back to Canada on a government-chartered flight. 

David and Patricia Strang are among thousands of passengers stuck on the Diamond Princess cruise ship, docked in Yokohama, Japan, since Feb. 3. 

Canadians and permanent residents who are healthy will be eligible to return home on a chartered flight expected to depart Japan on Thursday.

"This has been the cheapest two or three weeks we've ever spent in Japan," David Strang said from his quarantined room in an interview via Skype on Monday. 

In total, around 540 passengers aboard the Diamond Princess have tested positive for COVID-19, the name scientists have given to the new coronavirus.

There are approximately 256 Canadians on board the ship, and 32 have tested positive for the respiratory disease.

The Strangs have been taking their own temperature two to three times a day and are still healthy and without a fever.

"My temperature will vary up and down, but it hasn't gone above the magic 37.5 C at all," Strang said. 

"They say that you don't know if you have the virus until it's manifested or whatever, but I don't feel at all bad."

The initial symptoms for COVID-19 include fever, difficulty breathing and a cough.

Healthy Canadian passengers will fly home

The Strangs are preparing to leave the ship Thursday to board a government-chartered flight back to Canada, which will land at CFB Trenton.

Passengers will then be taken to the NAV Canada Training Institute in Cornwall, Ont., a two and a half hour drive from Trenton, where they will endure another 14-day quarantine. 

"We'll be housed there for another fun-filled two weeks," Strang said.

On Monday, around 300 Americans were taken off the ship and brought home. It took until around 10:30 p.m. JST to get all the Americans off the ship and onto buses for the trip to the airport. 

"It was a slow process. I think it will probably be the same for us." 

The Strangs have been keeping themselves busy by checking their email and keeping in touch with their children and friends.

"When I get up in the morning and we've got 15 or 20 e-mails to answer, it helps put in the day."

Wishes quarantine came earlier

The Japanese government has been criticized for its handling of the quarantine. 

Strang wishes the Japanese government would have instituted some sort of quarantine process when it first became aware of the problem on Feb. 1. 

"It would have certainly limited the spread of the virus on board the ship," Strang said. 

"Hindsight's always 20-20 when it comes to this kind of stuff."

The total number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in China surpassed 72,000 yesterday, according to China's National Health Commission. More than 1,800 have died because of the respiratory disease.