- Title: China brings in cruise ships to accommodate medical workers in Wuhan
- Date: 22nd February 2020
- Summary: WUHAN, HUBEI PROVINCE, CHINA (FEBRUARY 21, 2020) (CCTV - Broadcasters: NO USE CHINA Digital: NO USE CHINA) "BLUE WHALE" CRUISE SHIP ON YANGTZE RIVER WORKERS AT WHARF OF WANGJIA ALLEY FERRY MARINA, WUHAN FERRY MARINA "BLUE WHALE" CRUISE SHIP WORKERS WAVING FROM "BLUE WHALE" CRUISE SHIP SECTION OF "BLUE WHALE" CRUISE SHIP VARIOUS OF WORKERS ON BOARD SHIP SIGN READING (ENGLISH AND CHINESE): "BLUE WHALE" EXTERIOR OF SHIP (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) DIRECTOR OF SAFETY, CHONGQING AIRLINES, CHANGHANG GROUP (OWNERS OF "BLUE WHALE"), DU YONGKUI, SAYING: (EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: PART OF AUDIO IN SHOT NO. 9 IS OVERLAID WITH VIDEO OF SHOT NO. 8 AND SHOT NO. 10) REPORTER: "How many medical workers can be housed on this ship?" DU: "Currently this ship has a guest capacity of 202. There are 101 rooms." REPORTER: "That means 101 medical workers (can stay on board), right?" DU: "Right." REPORTER: "How many (guest services) staff members will be on board?" DU: "There are 13 members of staff providing room services. There are also 12 cooks (working in the kitchen)." VARIOUS OF WORKERS ON BOARD SHIP WORKER IN WHITE PROTECTIVE SUIT SPRAYING DISINFECTANT ON BOARD "BLUE WHALE" CRUISE SHIP VARIOUS OF INTERIOR OF SHIP VARIOUS OF STILLS OF ROOMS ON BOARD "BLUE WHALE" SAFETY RING, CRUISE SHIP
- Embargoed:
- Keywords: Wuhan coronavirus cruise diamond princess epidemic outbreak virus
- Location: WUHAN, HUBEI PROVINCE, CHINA
- City: WUHAN, HUBEI PROVINCE, CHINA
- Country: China
- Topics: Health/Medicine
- Reuters ID: LVA001C1OZWP3
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: China is bringing in seven cruise ships to house medical workers in Wuhan, state media said on Saturday (February 22) at a time when safety on cruise ships is under scrutiny after hundreds of passengers on board the "Diamond Princess" in Japan contracted coronavirus.
The first of these ships, the "blue whale", arrived in Wuhan on Friday (February 21) from a nearby city just down the Yangtze, Yichang. Six more are on the way.
The seven cruise ships will be able to offer 1,469 beds in total, Xinhua said.
The ship accommodation project has been organised by the local government of Yichang in coordination with the Ministry of Transport, Xinhua said. The ships, dubbed "water hotels" for medical staff, are normally used for river cruises in the Three Gorges scenic area, Xinhua added.
The ships are expected to provide safe dining and boarding conditions for medics to keep them refreshed in the battle against the epidemic, state media said.
The Diamond Princess cruise ship held under quarantine in Yokohoma, Japan since Feb. 3, has so far reported more than 630 cases accounting for the biggest infection cluster outside China and approximately a sixth of all passengers on board. Several countries have already evacuated scores of passengers from there. A second group of Chinese citizens from Hong Kong were amongst those flown home from Japan, Xinhua News reported.
Tens of thousands of medical workers have been brought into Wuhan and Hubei province in general from across China to support the effort to contain the coronavirus outbreak. A senior Chinese health official said last week that up until February 11, 1,716 health workers were infected by the coronavirus including several who died from it.
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