"CDC provided feedback on the disinfection plan at the cruise line’s request," Aimee Treffiletti, chief of the CDC's Vessel Sanitation Program, told USA TODAY, adding the plan was reviewed by the World Health Organization and the Japan Ministry of Health. And the Japanese health ministry required that the sanitation of the vessel be completed there, Alivia Owyoung Ender, spokesperson for Princess Cruises, told USA TODAY. jurisdiction when it was under quarantine in Japan. The CDC was not directly involved, given that the ship was not under U.S. "'Level three' already existed in the cruise world," Kamali said, noting it was "originally written in response to norovirus but includes disinfectant that disinfects against coronavirus, as well." How disinfection workedīELFOR disinfected all public and crew access areas, staterooms, crew cabins, dining and entertainment areas on the Diamond Princess.īecause the ship had a confirmed COVID-19 contamination, the company performed what is known as a "level-three" cleanup, the most thorough of all cleanings.īELFOR followed protocols established by the Arkansas-based consulting firm Center for Toxicology and Environmental Health (CTEH), which served as the industrial hygienist on the job the Japan Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare and Princess Cruises. Princess Cruises would not disclose the cost of the project.
And it took nearly all of March to fully disinfect the ship. Yellen says all wore disposable biohazard suits, along with booties, gloves and full-face respirators. These are people with years and years and years of experience."Ĭleaning the ship's 18 decks, 1,300+ cabins and numerous common areas on Diamond Princess took the efforts of 240 workers from the company's Japan and North American operations, including its environmental, HVAC and marine divisions. "This is what we do, not just during this COVID-19 time, this is what we do," Yellen told USA TODAY. "We have approximately 9,200 employees around the world, and they are full-time employees. BELFOR also helped to construct a drive-thru testing facility in South Carolina. 11, 2001, attacks and Hurricane Katrina in 2005, has been active throughout the COVID-19 outbreak, aiding sanitation efforts in hospitals, fire departments, arenas and airports, according to CEO Sheldon Yellen. The Michigan-based sanitation company, which participated in cleanup after the Sept. USA TODAY has reached out to the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare for comment. 5-19 after the first cases of COVID-19 were diagnosed. The ship was quarantined off the coast of Yokohama, Japan, from Feb. The cleaning job was complete and the vessel had been presented with a certificate from Japan's health ministry, which confirmed the Diamond Princess to be "fit to sail," with no traces of the novel coronavirus on board, according to the cruise line. Then on March 31 – nearly a month after the chaos on board ended – Princess spokesperson Negin Kamali shared a statement with USA TODAY announcing that the vessel had been sanitized by BELFOR Property Restoration, which touts itself as "the world's largest disaster restoration company." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention then conducted an investigation on how the virus spread through the ship. The coronavirus, which has since evolved into a global pandemic, has shut down the cruise industry, leaving many wary of getting on a cruise ship in the future – especially one that has seen as many infections as the Diamond Princess.Īfter the final passengers and crew disembarked with the ship's captain being the last person to depart the ship on March 1, according to a Princess Cruises Facebook post, cleaning was delayed. The U.S. It eventually infected 712 people on board and killed 13, according to Johns Hopkins data.
Watch Video: Coronavirus: A look at why viruses spread so quickly on cruise shipsĮarlier this year, coronavirus lurked on Princess Cruises' Diamond Princess cruise ship.
0 kommentar(er)
