A New Brunswick couple is thrilled to be back on Canadian soil after being under quarantine on the coronavirus-stricken Diamond Princess cruise ship in Yokohama, Japan.
And it’s been a long road to get to Cornwall, Ont., where they’re currently being monitored for potential signs of the coronavirus, or COVID-19, at the Nav Centre.
“From the time we left the ship to the time we got here in Cornwall, it was 22 hours,” Patricia Strang, a Fredericton resident, tells Global News.
Prior to their arrival in Cornwall, passengers first landed in Trenton, Ont.
“That was very emotional when we landed,” Strang says. “Everybody in the plane clapped, and I’m sure people cried like I did because we were back in Canada, thank heavens.”
The whole experience has been a roller coaster she hopes no one else has to go through, she says.
“If you haven’t gone through this, it’s too hard to explain. It’s been a very emotional, frustrating situation. Scary.”
Despite the quarantine, they get daily visits for food deliveries and from nurses and cleaners.
“(Nurses) come twice-a-day, and they check our temperature, and they check to see if we’re feeling all right, if we’ve got any symptoms or anything else,” Strang says.
Patricia’s husband David says while being back in Canada is a relief, he’s looking forward to getting back to New Brunswick.
“I’ll be happy to be home and get to normal routine, I guess. I’m kind of disappointed that we didn’t complete the rest of our 102-day trip,” he chuckles. “But I guess, under the circumstances, that went out the window a long time ago.”
With about 12 days of quarantine to go before hopefully heading home, Patricia is also optimistic.
“Just to be able to get home, it’ll be really, really nice.”