Shropshire coronavirus man Alan Steele tests negative as wife remains on cruise ship
A Shropshire honeymooner diagnosed with coronavirus while on a cruise in Japan says he has now tested negative for the disease.
Lorry driver Mr Steele, from Little Drayton, was moved to hospital in Tokyo last Friday after testing positive for the virus, while his new wife Wendy remained on board cruise liner Diamond Princess.
The liner had been isolated in the port of Yokohama, with 61 people having been moved from the ship to hospital after testing positive for the Covid-19 virus.
Mr Steele shared a photo from his hospital room with a view of the tallest tower in Japan - the Tokyo Skytree – adding that if his test results come back negative for a second time he could be released from quarantine.
On Wednesday, he posted on Facebook: "Just received great news. My test showed negative to virus and have now been swabbed for second test if that comes back negative I get released."
Sharing a photo of the Tokyo Skytree, he added: "View out my window of highest tower in Japan 643 metres high."
The news followed an update on Monday which said: "Doctor has given me the set plan of action for my discharge and as long as I pass the tests I will be free on Friday – would have been Thursday but Japan on holiday tomorrow [Tuesday] so no one to do the test results lol.
"Heard bad news on more cases on ship but possible good news is all will now be tested so if your free of virus they should let you go."
On Monday, his new wife Wendy spent her 52nd birthday isolated on the ship, without her husband.
She said: "Happy birthday to me. My 50th I spent with Susie and Yams at the local Chinese.
"51st in Berlin with my beloved Alan. 52nd in Japan... albeit stuck in a cabin and without Alan. Goodness.
"I wonder where my 53rd will be! Hopefully not still stuck in Japan."
Mrs Steele, who hasn't tested positive for coronavirus, will be stuck on board the ship until February 19, when the quarantine is due to end.
There have been 169 confirmed cases of the coronavirus strain, now officially named Covid-19 by the World Health Organisation, among the Diamond Princess' 3,711 passengers and crew.
Mr Steele's announcement comes after Steve Walsh, the businessman at the centre of a UK outbreak of coronavirus, thanked the NHS for his treatment and said he is "fully recovered".
Mr Walsh, 53, from Hove in East Sussex, is still in quarantine at St Thomas' Hospital in London. He picked up Covid-19 while at a conference in Singapore and through him several other cases in France, Spain and the UK were diagnosed.
Meanwhile British couple David and Sally Abel, who are friends of the Wolverhampton newlyweds, told Sky News on Wednesday that life on the cruise ship, quarantined by the port of Yokohama, is becoming more challenging.
The couple, who are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary, said passengers had been kept awake one night due to a woman crying in her cabin.
Efforts are also continuing to trace a limited number of patients who came into contact with two GPs diagnosed with coronavirus in the UK.
One of the doctors had been working as a locum at Worthing Hospital and is among the eight confirmed cases of coronavirus to date.
