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Diamond Princess coronavirus count rises to 61

FILE PHOTO: PRINCESS CRUISES Diamond Princess.jpeg
This is the last batch of people to be tested and the quarantine will end Feb. 19, unless there are any unforeseen developments
Princess Cruises has been notified by the Japanese Ministry of Health that an additional 41 people from the targeted screening samples on board Diamond Princess have tested positive for coronavirus.

This brings the total cases on the ship to 61.

The people who newly tested postive are from Argentina (one), Australia (five), Canada (five), Japan (21), United Kingdom (one) and United States (eight).  

Immediate transport to local hospitals

Public health authorities are expected to disembark the newly diagnosed people for immediate transport to local hospitals.

Quarantine to end Feb. 19

Diamond Princess has been quarantined in Yokohama since Monday. The Japanese Ministry of Health has confirmed this is the last batch of people to be tested and the quarantine will end Feb. 19, unless there are any unforeseen developments.

Additional support

Princess said the Japanese government is also providing the ship and team members additional manpower support.

Passengers continue to be provided free Internet and phone service to stay in contact with their family and loved ones. Princess has added live television channels and a large selection of in-room movies available in multiple languages. The cruise activities staff is packaging games, puzzles and trivia and delivering them to staterooms. 

Diamond Princess was carrying 2,666 passengers and 1,045 crew from a range of nationalities when it arrived at Yokohama on Monday. About half the passengers are from Japan.

Local health authorities have been on board conducting screenings after a man on the prior sailing was later diagnosed with coronavirus at a Hong Kong hospital.