Dr. Arnold and Jeanie Hopland

Dr. Arnold Hopland and his wife, Jeanie, are now both quarantined in Japan — in separate locations — awaiting their next move — how and when they will get back to the United States once they are released from quarantine.

Dr. Hopland, an Elizabethton physician and owner of Elizabethton Medical Care, this weekend was allowed to leave a cruise ship docked off the coast of Japan after being quarantined there since early February because of an outbreak of the coronavirus. He and other passengers aboard the Diamond Princess were taken by bus Friday to a college dormitory near Tokyo, where he is quarantined to a small room for another 14 days.

Dewey Whaley, who is married to the Hoplands’ daughter, Jennie, and who works in management at Medical Care, said Monday morning his wife had talked with both parents, and both were doing well. “Her father is in isolation, however, he is not showing any symptoms of the coronavirus. He is pretty much climbing the walls about what has happened,” said Whaley.

“Jenny talked with her mother this morning, and she is doing well, considering the circumstances. She must have two negative tests for the virus before she will be allowed to leave the facility she is quarantined in. Although she is yet to test negative, she is not exhibiting any symptoms of the virus. Everyone has been moved from the facility she is in except for her and one other lady. Both, she and her husband have their cell phones and talk with each other every day,” said Whaley.

Whaley described his mother-in-law as a person of strong, unwavering faith. His father-in-law, he said, has a tenacious spirit, and right now their concern is getting back to the states, but that may take several more days.

It no doubt was Dr. Hopland’s friendship with Congressman Phil Roe, also a physician, which was instrumental in bringing home hundreds of Americans earlier this month, who had been quarantined on the British cruise ship, docked in the Sea of Japan, after one passenger contacted the virus. This is according to a news report detailing the government’s decision to evacuate the ship.

About 3,700 people were quarantined on the ship for days as the infection spread. Hopland’s calls to Rep. Roe appear to be at least partially responsible for the decision to rescue other Americans from the ship. Hopland has been constantly in touch with Congressman Roe throughout the ordeal, leading to Roe pushing the State Department to bring Americans on the cruise ship home.

Roe confirmed in a statement on his website that he got invaluable first-hand information from Dr. Hopland about the conditions on the Diamond Princess and then urged federal officials to evacuate the Americans on the ship.

Rep. Roe said on Feb. 12, U.S. officials briefed members of Congress in a closed door hearing on the coronavirus, and the cruise ship, in particular. At that time, Roe shared with his colleagues about his calls from Dr. Hopland and the deteriorating conditions aboard the cruise ship.

In a letter to the Secretary of State and the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, Rep. Roe noted of the roughly 3,600 passengers on board, reports stated there had been 218 positive cases of infection. He noted that a lack of medical expertise on the group had led to ineffective quarantine conditions.

The Diamond Princess with more than 4,600 persons aboard — 1,000 crew members in addition to passengers — had left Japan on a 15-day cruise in January. The first sick passenger was discovered just a few days later as the ship was at sea. In the tight quarters of the ship, the virus spread quickly and infected more than 600 people at last count. Soon, the ship had more confirmed cases of the coronavirus than any country other than China.

In the beginning, passengers were largely quarantined in their cabins while the ship was docked in a Japan port. Earlier this month about 350 Americans who had not shown any symptoms of the virus were permitted to leave the ship and fly back to the U.S. to be quarantined at military bases in California and Texas. The Hoplands had planned to fly back to the U.S. at that time, but, Mrs. Hopland tested positive for the virus, and they were denied the privilege to leave the ship.

A family member said their luggage had already been placed on the plane, so they were left on the ship without any clothing or personal items.

“Right now, things are a little difficult for the doctor and his wife,” Whaley said. “But the biggest concern now is when and how they will get back to the states, and will they be in quarantine again once they get back to the states. It was a vacation that went bad, but knowing the Doc, he won’t let this stop him from going. I’m just glad they both have cell phones and service and we can communicate with them. Probably, 10 years ago had this happened, we would not have been able to communicate with them by cell phone.”