At least 10 people on the cruise ship quarantined in Japan have tested positive for the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), the TheJapanTimes has reported.
The discovery is fuelling fears that there may be many more as 31 people were tested. According to the Japanese Health Minister, Katsunobu Kato, after 273 people were singled out for examination.
The 10 who tested positive disembarked the Diamond Princess, the cruise ship, which is docked at Yokohama port, and were taken to four hospitals in Kanagawa Prefecture.
In line with standard practice, the remaining members of the cruise ship will be confined to the ship for the next 14 days to observe if anyone would come down with the infection.
The nationalities of those infected were revealed in a statement by the operator of the cruise on Wednesday: three Japanese passengers, two Australian passengers, three passengers from Hong Kong, one passenger from the United States and one Filipino crew member. The ministry of health says their ages range from 50 to 80.
The Diamond Princess, a cruise ship, was quarantined on arrival in Japan following the death of a former passenger on the crew from coronavirus.
Over 3700 people were on the vessel when it was quarantined.
