Crew members aboard the coronavirus-hit Diamond Princess cruise ship had continued contact with infected passengers even following a government request on Feb. 5 that passengers self-quarantine in their rooms, a Japanese crew member said in a recent phone interview.
"Crew members did not limit their movements, and interacted with passengers who had tested positive for the virus. Other than wearing protective face masks, infection prevention measures were left to the crew," said the crew member — who asked to remain anonymous — in the first detailed testimony by personnel of the ship where nearly 700 people became infected.
Although some believe the virus likely spread via crew members, the health ministry has insisted that there were no problems with the government's handling of the situation. "We will investigate whether protective measures were sufficient moving forward," one senior ministry official said.