A Manassas, Virginia, couple are among hundreds of Americans who became stuck on a quarantined cruise ship near Yokohama, Japan, and one of them is now in the hospital.
James "Rod" Bell and his wife Athene were on the Diamond Princess cruise when it was discovered another guest, who didn’t have any symptoms while aboard the ship, tested positive for the coronavirus.
Athene is at a Japanese military hospital, Bell said.
"She’s getting great care at the hospital. She’s being seen by two doctors. She’s in stable condition, I think. Basically, it’s a mild form of the coronavirus,” Bell said.
Bell says he's counting down the days until Feb. 19, the date Princess Cruises says the quarantine will end “unless there are any unforeseen developments.”
Bell said staff deliver meals to the people on the ship and they have permission to walk on deck while wearing face masks for a few minutes each day.
He says 40 to 50 ambulances are waiting nearby to take sick passengers to the hospital.
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On Monday, Princess Cruises confirmed an additional 66 cases of the flu-like virus, bringing the total number of people infected to 136.
Bell said he's determined to stay positive.
“I’m safe, secure. My wife is safe and secure. I know the ship’s doing all they can and the Japanese are certainly very professional, in what they’re doing,” he said.
