[ti:Thousands Trapped on Cruise Ship in Japan Over COVID-19 Virus Fears] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM [00:00.04]What is being kept in a small space because of the new coronavirus like? [00:06.44]Passengers on a vacation trip in the western Pacific Ocean know very well. [00:13.00]They are on the Diamond Princess, a huge, cruise ship that is quarantined in the Japanese port of Yokohama. [00:22.48]More than 200 passengers on the ship have been infected with the new coronavirus, COVID-19. [00:32.28]Health officials have reacted by keeping about 3,500 passengers on the ship. [00:39.88]They are waiting until existing cases can be treated, and other passengers are cleared of the disease. [00:49.24]The number of cases from the ship is the largest group of infections in the world outside of China. [00:57.68]The Associated Press spoke with passengers and looked at their communications on social media. [01:07.24]Even during the quarantine, Cheryl and Paul Molesky appeared to still be on vacation. [01:16.24]The two Americans from Syracuse, New York, can be seen in YouTube videos relaxing, often in bathrobes. [01:27.44]They appear to be enjoying themselves looking at the ocean and snow-covered Mount Fuji in the distance. [01:38.16]"We try to have an upbeat presentation...we're not hurt, we're not in pain... [01:44.84]we're actually just enjoying ourselves," said the 78-year-old Paul Molesky. [01:53.36]Fifty-nine-year-old Cheryl Molesky spends several hours each day answering emails and texts and preparing their YouTube videos. [02:06.32]She said they are concerned when a new group of cases is announced. [02:12.60]But she added there was little they could do: "We decided to make the most of every day." [02:22.48]One Japanese man in his 30s, who did not want to give his name, said he spends his days mostly taking pictures of each meal. [02:33.56]He then posts them anonymously on Twitter. [02:37.56]"All I can do is to wait and tweet," he said. [02:41.80]The ship has restaurants and many forms of entertainment, but they are mostly closed. [02:49.92]Passengers now mostly must stay in their rooms. [02:54.40]Less costly rooms on the ship are not much wider than a double bed. [03:01.00]Pictures posted on the ship's website show that there is space only for a desk chair. [03:08.52]The least costly rooms do not have windows. [03:12.92]The larger rooms are about 20 square meters or less. [03:18.84]People on the ship must clean their own rooms and clothes. [03:23.76]Contact with the crew has been limited since the first 10 cases were confirmed in early February. [03:32.76]For many, the days now center on food service. [03:37.68]One crew member wearing a mask and gloves hands out the plates, [03:43.24]another provides other things needed for the meal, while another notes names and room numbers. [03:51.12]The boat has added more movies and TV channels to try to help with the boredom. [03:58.36]People without balconies are permitted to walk outside for about an hour each day. [04:05.88]They must keep two meters apart, however, to avoid spreading the virus. [04:13.28]Passengers talk and wave to each other from their balconies. [04:18.60]For the Japanese man on the ship, the food is one of the biggest problems. [04:25.20]"I miss Japanese food," he said. [04:30.36]A recent video posted on Twitter shows a group of men wearing masks and what appears to be the clothing of kitchen workers. [04:42.52]One man, identified as Binay Kumar Sarkar, says, "We are scared. [04:50.40]We appeal to the Indian government and the United Nations to help us." [04:57.96]Some of the crew members who got infected with the virus are restaurant, bar or housekeeping workers. [05:08.20]They most likely had contact with passengers until those services were closed. [05:17.08]"Until the quarantine started, everything was business as usual, and everyone was freely moving around," said Kazuho Taguchi. [05:29.48]He is director of global health cooperation at Japan's health ministry. [05:37.56]Crew members still share rooms, as the number of cabins for them is limited, Taguchi said. [05:47.12]But, one crew member said he had been isolated in his room two days after he reported a pain in his throat. [05:58.12]"Everyone on the ship is scared. Many people are falling sick, and now the crew's getting sick too," he said. [06:08.60]While he waits for test results, he has been reading all the news and communicating with friends and family. [06:18.88]Officials in Japan say isolating people on the ship is one way to prevent the disease's spread. [06:29.00]Other experts argue the measure could create more infection. [06:36.04]Reiji Goto is a doctor at Diayukai General Hospital in Ichinomiya. [06:44.04]He told TBS television: "More and more people are getting infected while they are trapped on the ship, [06:53.16]which is not good for disease prevention." [06:58.68]Tara Smith is a professor who studies infectious diseases at Kent State University's College of Public Health in the United States. [07:10.84]She said a hospital, not a ship, is the best place to keep people quarantined. [07:18.92]Smith added that she has concerns about new infections and the passenger's mental health. [07:29.56]For some, however, the fear might be worse than the virus. [07:34.64]Many people, for example, do not show strong signs of infection with the COVID-19 virus. [07:42.80]On Thursday, an Australian mother and daughter spoke to Australia's Nine Network television from a Japanese hospital. [07:54.96]The two said officials took them off the ship after a test showed that the daughter, [08:02.08]Bianca D'Silva, was infected with the new coronavirus. [08:07.16]She said health workers put her in a wheelchair covered with a protective material. [08:15.16]Bianca and her mother, Suzanne, said they were both briefly sick, but feel fine now. [08:22.44]"Honestly, it just felt like your everyday cold," Bianca said. [08:27.56]"I had a bit of headache before and just a slight fever but that's about it, honestly," she added. [08:35.20]I'm Kelly Jean Kelly. [08:38.20]And I'm Mario Ritter, Jr. 更多听力请访问51VOA.COM