CORONAVIRUS | This tarnishes what is supposed to be a triumphant Olympic year for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
| As the virus-stricken Diamond Princess cruise ship is evacuated, Japan faces deepening criticism over its response to the outbreak, tarnishing what was supposed to be a triumphant Olympic year for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Japan is just months away from hosting the 2020 Olympic games. For some Japanese, the outbreak carries an uneasy echo of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear meltdown, when the government was widely criticised for downplaying another crisis. "Epidemiological evidence shows that our isolation strategy worked," Shigeru Omi, president of the Japan Community Healthcare Organisation, told reporters at a recent briefing."Almost 4,000 people stay on this ship, which is not designed for isolation for several weeks, and this is a very challenging situation."
Passengers weren't confined to their rooms until Feb 5. The day before, as officials screened them, onboard events continued, including dances, quiz games and an exercise class, one passenger said. "How is this quarantine going to be lifted when there is practically continuous exposure?" said Eyal Leshem, director of the Centre for Travel Medicine and Tropical Diseases at Sheba Medical Centre in Israel."It doesn't make sense epidemiologically."
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