'Donald Trump, save us.' Couple quarantined amid coronavirus pleads to get off cruise ship

Milena Basso and her husband are on the Diamond Princess, which is docked in Japan.

News 12 Staff

Feb 7, 2020, 5:16 PM

Updated 1,540 days ago

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A Garden City couple's honeymoon has turned into a nightmare.
Gaetano Cerullo and Milena Basso are among thousands quarantined aboard the Diamond Princess.
The cruise ship is now docked in Yokohama, Japan -- after 61 people on board, including 11 Americans tested positive for the Wuhan coronavirus. Cerullo and Basso say they're scared they may be next because they're trapped on the cruise ship.
“If they're really concerned and worried, we should be quarantined in a sanitary environment that is safe, not on a cruise ship that's already infected,” says Basso.
The couple appealed to President Donald Trump for help in a shared video.
“Donald Trump save us. Get us a government-based airplane. Not even that. Get us off the ship,” she said.
A Blue Point couple is also on the same ship.
Another cruise ship rocked by coronavirus fears is the Anthem of the Seas, docked in Bayonne, New Jersey. Twenty-seven people who recently traveled to China were screened for the virus.
All but four passengers were cleared. Those individuals were taken to the hospital for further testing.
In New York, health officials say there are no confirmed cases of the coronavirus. Gov. Andrew Cuomo says measures are in place to protect the public.
So far, the coronavirus has infected more than 31,000 and killed 630 people around the world, according to the CDC. There are 12 documented cases in the U.S.
Public health officials believe the quarantines and enhanced screenings of travelers will help slow the spread of the virus.


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