The virus-hit Diamond Princess cruise ship’s officials reported 70 more cases of quarantin of 289 people tested on the board, Japan Times reported quoting Health Minister Katsunobu Kato.
Diamond Princess cruise ship quarantined in Japan’s Yokohama have been tested positive for coronavirus (CoVID-19), bringing the total to 355 cases in the country. The cruise ship has more than 3,700 passengers and crew members on the board has trapped due to coronavirus originated in China.
Taking into account that among cruise ship’s passengers are people from at least 50 countries, the US Embassy sent a letter on Saturday to Americans aboard. The letter reads that a chartered aircraft, set to arrive in Japan on Sunday would repatriate those who wished to leave the Diamond Princess.
Japanese authorities are continuing to cooperate with other nations that make similar arrangements to evacuate their citizens on the ship.
More than a week has passed since the cruise ship was put under a two-week quarantine at Yokohama port after a passenger who disembarked in Hong Kong was found to be infected with COVID-19, the pneumonia-causing coronavirus.
Japan health ministry actively cooperates with other nations to keep coronavirus under control
Japan’s health ministry had initially planned to keep all of the passengers and crew confined on Diamond Princess until Wednesday when the quarantine is scheduled to end.
But the ministry decided last Thursday to let passengers 80 and older, as well as their travelling companions, leave before the end of the quarantine after they were screened for infection.
Those with pre-existing conditions or who were staying in Diamond Princess cabins without windows were prioritized for disembarkation.
