‘Distressed’ coronavirus Brits trapped in ‘prison’ hospital with pneumonia as son begs Donald Trump to rescue them
A BRIT couple stricken with coronavirus say they are trapped in a “prison” Japanese hospital as their worried son today begged Donald Trump for help.
David and Sally Abel, from Northamptonshire, were among the 3,700 people quarantined on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship in the eastern Port of Yokohama.
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The couple have since tested positive for the deadly bug and were transferred to hospitals in Japan for treatment.
Their son Stephen claimed overnight his parents told him “we can’t take any more of this” after flagging concerns over the conditions of the hospital.
He said: “We tracked them down to the other hospital and they are both in a really bad way.
“They are distressed.
“His exact words to me were ‘we can’t take any more of this, it’s like a prison. ‘We don’t have shower facilities or a bathroom, we have a small room with a little toilet’.”
He said his elderly parents were being kept in a room with a small window, which looked out to a brick wall.
And Stephen later tweeted: “Donald Trump need help getting my mum and dad out of Japan with Coronavirus.
“UK government are not helping us. They say Japanese hospital is like a prison.
“Can you help? My folkes (sic) are big Trump supporters.”
The couple have both also since been diagnosed with pneumonia.
Stephen’s wife Roberta said they had spoken to the Foreign Office this morning – but were still frustrated.
She said: “I think they could have reacted earlier.
“I think that if they had got them off quicker, so they weren’t on a disease infested boat, it would have been good.
“I do think they have let them down.”
PLAGUE SHIP
The Diamond Princess cruise ship was locked down after cases of the virus were found on board two weeks ago.
Of the passengers and crew on board, 620 ultimately contracted the virus.
Last night, a rescue flight left Japan, carrying 32 Brits and Europeans was evacuated off the cruise ship.
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab added: “We will continue to support British nationals who wish to stay in Japan.”
Just yesterday another Brit couple who had been trapped on the coronavirus-ravaged cruise revealed their holiday hell.
Elaine and John Spencer were imprisoned in a windowless cabin for almost 24 hours a day in the Port of Yokohama.
Businesswoman Elaine, 54, had kept a terrifying diary of their ordeal since February 3.
She told ITV News: “It’s been a bit of an ordeal.
“I would say thank you so much to the UK government that eventually decided to do something and help us and get all Brits home.
“We look forward to seeing our family hopefully in two weeks once we land and once we are out of quarantine.”
The flight is due to land in the UK today.
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A number of scientists have criticised the handling of the outbreak, saying that locking down the ship with so many people on board meant it became an incubator for the virus.
Authorities in Japan have defended the approach.
