Dr. Arnie Hopland is in good spirits despite an ongoing quarantine that has separated him from his wife.

Hopland and his wife, Jeanie Hopland, became quarantined on the Diamond Princess Cruise Ship in Japan after some aboard tested positive for the coronavirus. Just before he and his wife could get back to the United States following the ship quarantine, she tested positive and the two were separated. Hopland was eventually sent to the National Tax College in Wako, Japan, while his wife was taken to a military hospital in Tokyo.

According to Hopland, the pair remain in contact daily over Facebook and his wife is doing well, sharing her room with a couple of other individuals whom she has befriended. As of Feb. 28, Mrs. Hopland has now tested negative twice for the disease and is awaiting transport back to the United States. Hopland is still in his 14 day quarantine that began once leaving the ship. He has never tested positive.

“This is the longest separation we’ve ever had in our 55 years, I’m just worried she will enjoy the break from me,” he laughed.

Hopland previously spoke of how cold his dorm room was and that he had no clothing but what was on his back. Hopland now says all his needs are being met. Hopland’s room is well heated, he has a balcony, he has a large desk he enjoys having all his papers on and has been given care packages by his son, that included a variety of snacks, an electric blanket, pajamas, a sweatshirt and more. He noted that while the room is small, it has everything you could need inside. He is well fed daily and leaves his trash outside his door, with no human contact in person.

“This is actually a legitimate quarantine,” he said. “I feel very safe now.”

Despite the lack of human contact physically, Hopland says company is always in his room over the phone with him communicating with family, friends and officials.

Reflecting back on his vacation and on the Diamond Princess Cruise Ship, Hopland had nothing but kind things to say.

“When people have asked if I would ever go on a cruise again, I’ve said that I’ve been treated so well on this cruise that I have thought about selling my house and living on one, except I would be 400 pounds since we eat good,” said Hopland.

He said that even during the quarantine that they were treated well and fed the best foods. The cruise line has offered him a full refund and offered him a similar cruise in the future, which he says he would happily go again.

Hopland described the quarantine itself as a failure on the Centers for Disease Control’s, CDC, part.

“Those of us left on the boat were left in a petri dish, and had it been handled correctly, no Americans would’ve gotten sick,” he said.

Hopland noted his distrust of the quarantine when he heard of it on the ship. He also said that he has been in contact with officials about proper plans.

“We need to have proper plans in place to do better next time,” he said. “One never learns from his successes, but if you learn from your failures every once in a while, you actually get better.”

Hopland hopes to use the platform he has been given to raise awareness of what went wrong and call those out who did so. He is currently working on a book about his experience and has also been asked to speak at the Royal Academy of Medicine in London this October due to being more candid and not being able to speak his mind.

Additionally, Hopland is excited for him and his wife to return to the United States and has even planned a party to celebrate, inviting everyone who has shown support.

“I can’t say thank you enough for the mass pouring of support for my wife and myself,” he said. “I’m rather angry that it was totally unnecessary, but people make mistakes and we might learn from this.”