Mumbai: It has been five days since 24-year-old, Shonali Thakkar, a Mira Road resident and a security officer on board the Diamond Princess cruise liner, has been quarantined, after the ship docked at Yokohoma on February 3. Her family has sent an SOS to the Indian government. At the time of writing, no government official, either from the Centre or state had approached the family.
However, an official from the state health department said they had not been informed about Shonali, which is why they have been unable to act in the matter. “Further action can be taken only when we get orders from the higher-ups,” he said.
On Friday, Dinesh Thakkar, Sonali’s father, tweeted: “Hi I am tweeting this on behalf of my daughter, my daughter Ms. Sonali Thakkar is working with #Diamond_PrincessCrusise from Dec 2019.
As all our aware that there are many on board tourists who have been declared positive with #coronavirus The ship has been kept under isolation from 03-02-2020 Day by day the count of the infected people are increasing and the number as reached to 218 people. Over 160 Indian crew members are stuck up over there. No proper action has been taken till now. I request the #IndianGovernment to please take a strict action and get back our daughter and other citizen’s of our country back to India Thakkar told The Free Press Journal, the family was awaiting government action to bring her and the other Indian passengers back.
“It has been more than four days since my daughter has been quarantined after she suffered mild fever and cold, but as yet, there has been no initiative from the government to ensure our people are brought back home,” he said.
He also urged the governments of India and Japan, to separate the infected and uninfected passengers. “I am in contact with Shonali, but today (Friday), due to network issues I have been unable to talk to her. On Thursday, when I spoke to her, she told me about some tests being done and that reports were awaited. We hope the reports are negative (for coronavirus) and she can come home soon,” he said.
On Wednesday, Shonali, speaking to a television channel said, conditions on the cruise liner were getting worse, as the number of suspected cases had increased from 178 to 218. “We are scared that if the infection is spreading, it is spreading so fast that we could also be affected. We just want to go back home,” she said.
The delay in obtaining test results has only made their wait further agonised. “We want the Indian government to take us back to India and isolate us there. Or, at least send some more medical staffers across to help these people with the tests. We want to go home,” Thakur said.
A total of 138 Indians, including 132 crew and 6 passengers, were on board the ship. The Indian embassy, in a statement said three Indian crew members are among 218 people who tested positive for the virus.
“All 218 people, including Indian nationals, have been taken to hospitals for further treatment and quarantine. As per information available with the Embassy, no other Indian national on-board Diamond Princess Cruise ship has developed any symptoms of infection,” the statement said.
