American passengers from a cruise ship docked in Japan on which about 400 cases of the coronavirus have been confirmed will be flown to a pair of military bases in the United States, Department of Defense officials confirmed Sunday.
The U.S. State Department has chartered two flights to evacuate some of the passengers aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship, currently docked in Yokahama, located about 20 miles south of Tokyo.
One of the flights will land at Travis Air Force Base in northern California while the other will be taken to Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas.
The American passengers will be subjected to a mandatory 14-day quarantine period managed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control after they arrive. Should any of the evacuees test positive or become symptomatic with the coronavirus, they will be transferred to a “suitable” off base medical facility, Department of Defense officials said.
• Mike Glenn can be reached at mglenn@washingtontimes.com.
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