José Andrés’s World Central Kitchen is feeding the quarantined coronavirus cruise ship guests marooned in Yokohama.
It’s a departure from the norm for World Central Kitchen, which typically services those affected by larger natural disasters and human rights violations
Chef José Andrés’s nonprofit disaster relief organization World Central Kitchen is now preparing breakfast, lunch, and dinner for passengers and crew members who remain quarantined aboard a cruise ship in Yokohama, Japan.
WCK’s “Chef Relief” team has been at the port since last week, hastily establishing a field operation with oven and refrigerator trucks to serve fresh meals to the Diamond Princess.
A look inside our Tokyo relief kitchen today as we cook fresh meals for the quarantined #DiamondPrincess ?? @WCKitchen pic.twitter.com/u3bEq5MGS5
— Chef José Andrés ?️?? (@chefjoseandres) February 21, 2020
The ship, operated by Princess Cruises, has been quarantined since February 4. Onboard, 542 cases of COVID-19 have been identified among passengers and crew members. In a statement, Princess Cruises explained that the Diamond Princess would be “integrating WCK meals into our food service options.” WCK calls its work a supporting role. “On behalf of all the crew around the world, we would like to say thank you for your unconditional support,” a Princess Cruises representative writes, addressing WCK. “Your hard work is much appreciated by all of us.”
Onboard, Diamond Princess passengers have been instructed to stay in their cabins; meals are dropped at their doors by crew. Passengers have had internet and telephone access, plus new offerings from the cruise line due to the “unusual circumstances,” like added movies and free calisthenics videos.
Andrés launched WCK in response to the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, for example, and in response to Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, its chefs fed more than three million people.
