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Thursday, March 28, 2024

Number of coronavirus cases on cruise ship off Japan rises steeply

Duration: 01:17s 0 shares 4 views

Number of coronavirus cases on cruise ship off Japan rises steeply
Number of coronavirus cases on cruise ship off Japan rises steeply

At least 61 people on a cruise liner off Japan tested positive for coronavirus on Friday (February 7), and thousands of passengers remain confined to their cabins.

Beth Timmins reports.

There's been a sharp rise in the number of coronavirus cases on the cruise ship docked off Japan, where around 3,700 people remain confined to their cabins.

Japanese officials say that 61 people have now tested positive for the disease on the quarantined ship -- a steep increase from the 20 confirmed cases on Thursday.

People were seen exercising on the balconies of their rooms, while others stood and looked outside, including one woman who put up a Japanese flag reading "shortage of medicine".

Passengers have been confined to their cabins on board the Diamond Princess ship for days as part of a two-week quarantine, after an 80-year-old man who disembarked in Hong Kong was diagnosed with the virus.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) PASSENGERS ON BOARD QUARANTINED CRUISE LINER, DIAMOND PRINCESS, GAY COURTER SAYING: "We got to get off the ship.

I could do two weeks of this nice cabin with the balcony." PHILIP COURTER SAYING: "We're certainly prepared to do the 14 days if its safe to do 14 days.

But I don't think it's even safe to be here for that length of that time now unfortunately" Meals have been irregular and passengers have noted their concern on Twitter about crew members delivering meals from cabin to cabin.

Infected passengers are being taken to nearby hospitals in Yokohama today.

The new ship cases take the total number of coronavirus infections in Japan to more than 80.

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