Northamptonshire man on board quarantined cruise ship in Japan where 10 passengers have tested positive for Coronavirus

The husband from Woodford Halse has been livestreaming the quarantine procedures he and other passengers are dealing with - and is currently confined to his cabin.
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A Northamptonshire man has been broadcasting his ordeal stuck on a quarantined cruise ship in Japan where 10 passengers have now tested positive for Coronavirus.

David Abel, from Woodford Halse, near Daventry, is one of 3,710 passengers on board the Diamond Princess that is now anchored off Yokohama Bay, where he has been told they will all be in quarantine for "14 days".

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The travel photographer and wedding officiant has earned the interest of national news this week by using his social media pages to video what's been happening since a passenger tested positive for the disease on Monday evening (February 3).

David Abel, from Woodford Halse, has been quarantined on a cruise ship in Japan along with 3,700 passengers.David Abel, from Woodford Halse, has been quarantined on a cruise ship in Japan along with 3,700 passengers.
David Abel, from Woodford Halse, has been quarantined on a cruise ship in Japan along with 3,700 passengers.

All passengers have been ordered to stay in their cabins by health officials, with food being brought to their rooms.

However, this situation led to David - a diabetic - going without food for 18 hours when he was unable to eat the food brought to him.

He told his followers in a video on Facebook at around 8am GMT: ""There is definitely a bit of anxiety on board. The last thing I want is for another passenger to get it, least of all me or my wife.

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"We still are not allowed outside of the cabin and are confined here full time.

David has been broadcasting his experiences since 10 people on board the Princess Diamond tested positive for Coronavirus.David has been broadcasting his experiences since 10 people on board the Princess Diamond tested positive for Coronavirus.
David has been broadcasting his experiences since 10 people on board the Princess Diamond tested positive for Coronavirus.

"We are being brought bottled water, and meals have completely changed. This is definitely no longer a luxury cruise.

"I'm so grateful that the ship are taking care of us. Life continues, we've got to make the most of it."

David says it is not yet clear if he and his fellow passengers are facing the entire 14-day quarantine on the boat, and is concerned about how those in rooms without natural light could soon be "climbing up the walls".

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Since the passenger tested positive on Monday, Japanese medical teams have reportedly attended ever cabin on board.

Copyright David Abel. Japanese Health Officials reportedly visited every cabin on the ship.Copyright David Abel. Japanese Health Officials reportedly visited every cabin on the ship.
Copyright David Abel. Japanese Health Officials reportedly visited every cabin on the ship.

More than 300 passengers reportedly boarded the Princess Diamond when it arrived in Hong Kong on January 26 - which David called "irresponsible" in a Facebook post.

The 10 people on-board the Princess Royal-operated cruise who have tested positive are reportedly aged in their 50s to their 80s. The Guardian reported that they have been taken to local hospitals by the coastguard.

Even before the quarantine was announced, passengers were secluding themselves in their rooms. David said in one video: “It was like a ghost ship. There were a few passengers at the bars having a drink but it really was empty compared to how it had been over the past few days.

David and his wife Sally were due to fly home to the UK on Monday but had to cancel their flight after they were not allowed to leave the ship.