Team Herald
PANJIM: Around 50 Goans are among 6,000-odd passengers quarantined for two weeks in the giant cruise ship Diamond Princess, which has been marooned off a Japan port owing to the novel coronavirus outbreak.
While the news has created panic among their relatives in Goa, the authorities have allayed worries stating no Indians have tested positive for the virus as on date.
Herald contacted NRI Affairs Commissioner Narendra Sawaikar who confirmed the presence of Goans but refused to elaborate. “I received a call from two Goan families informing about their members’ presence on the ship,” he said.
In a tweet, Sawaikar said that he has informed the family representatives of the two Goan families about the steps taken as informed by Ministry of External Affairs. It is learnt that out of 300 Indians on board the ship, 50 are Goans.
External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar has said that no Indians have tested positive for the virus. “Many Indian crew & some Indian passengers are on board the cruise ship #DiamondPrincess quarantined off Japan due to #coronavirus. None have tested positive, as per the latest information provided by our Embassy @IndianEmbTokyo. We are closely following the developments,” he tweeted.
