Days after the quarantine lifted on the coronavirus-afflicted Diamond Princess, the ship’s owner put out a big “help wanted” notice.

“Princess Cruises announces global search for best-in-class cleaning and disinfection service provider,” the subject line on an emailed press statement said Saturday. Whoever is chosen will have to abide by “detailed standards” laid out by the Japanese Ministry of Health, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization and the cruise line.

Those exact standards were still being worked out late last week. In the announcement, Princess laid out the vast scope of the mission aboard the 18-deck, 1,337-guest-cabin ship where thousands of passengers were forced to stay in their rooms, some for as long as two weeks. Nearly 700 people who were on the ship have tested positive for the virus. Three have died.

According to the Princess announcement, workers will need to clean all of the spaces where passengers move and congregate: cabins, entertainment venues, restaurants, shops, the spa, the salon, the fitness center, deck areas and corridors. Carpets, drapes and other soft furnishings must be sanitised. In staterooms, all towels, bed linens, mattress pads, pillows, duvets, shower curtains and mattresses need to be removed and properly disposed of.

Source: Read Full Article