Cruise Ship Docking Sparks International Dispute... WHO Urges "Allow Free Entry"

The 'Diamond Princess' ship docked and quarantined at Yokohama Port, Japan
[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The World Health Organization (WHO) recently announced that governments around the world should allow cruise ships, which have been stigmatized as "floating virus culture dishes" and denied entry, to dock freely. Since 174 confirmed COVID-19 cases were reported on the Diamond Princess, which is docked and quarantined at Yokohama Port in Japan, more countries have been refusing entry to large cruise ships out of fear. Even cruise ships with no confirmed cases have been banned from docking for 14 days, drifting at sea, turning the issue of cruise ship entry into an international problem.

According to foreign media including the Associated Press, on the 12th (local time), WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a press briefing held at the WHO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, "Of the 48 confirmed COVID-19 cases outside China reported yesterday, 40 occurred on the Diamond Princess," adding, "We are continuously in contact with the Japanese government, the International Maritime Organization (IMO), and shipowners to protect the health of all passengers on board."

The Diamond Princess is a mega cruise ship carrying about 3,700 passengers and crew. Since the first confirmed COVID-19 case was reported on the 4th, the ship has been quarantined off the coast of Yokohama Port without permission to dock. As of the previous day, 174 people had been infected, making it the area with the highest number of confirmed cases outside mainland China. The Japanese government has been criticized internationally for its indecisive quarantine policy, as infections continued to spread on board during nearly 10 days of isolation.

The Westerdam ship drifting at sea for 14 days after being denied entry by five countries following its departure from Hong Kong earlier this month [Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

Director-General Ghebreyesus also directly mentioned the Westerdam, which was refused entry by five countries and drifted at sea for 14 days earlier this month. He said, "There are reportedly no suspected or confirmed COVID-19 cases on the Westerdam," and expressed gratitude to the Cambodian government for allowing the Westerdam to dock, calling it "an example of international solidarity."

The Westerdam departed from Hong Kong on the 1st of this month and was scheduled to dock at major ports in the Philippines, Taiwan, and Japan. However, due to reports of suspected cases on board, Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines, Thailand, and the U.S. territory of Guam all denied entry, causing the ship to continue drifting in the South China Sea. The cruise line announced that no suspected cases were confirmed and that COVID-19 tests were negative, but no country accepted the ship. Finally, the Cambodian government granted docking permission the previous day, and the ship is expected to dock at Sihanoukville Port in Cambodia to disembark passengers.

Nevertheless, fear of cruise ships has grown following the Diamond Princess case, leading to temporary entry bans on cruise ships regardless of the presence of confirmed COVID-19 cases. WHO criticized these entry refusals by governments and plans to issue a joint declaration with the IMO. Director-General Ghebreyesus stated, "We will release a joint declaration with the IMO emphasizing the principle of free entry for ships and appropriate measures for all travelers," stressing, "Entry should not be denied without evidence-based risk assessment."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.