Coronavirus Infected Passenger Causes Quarantine of Cruise Ship

Amidst concerns over the recent outbreak of the coronavirus, the Japanese government will quarantine the Diamond Princess cruise ship once it anchors in Yokohama on Monday. The decision stems from a man who sailed aboard the ship last month and tested positive for the virus.

The 80-year-old Hong Kong resident traveled to Japan and boarded the ship on January 20 and disembarked in Hong Kong on January 25. According to an NHK public broadcaster, the man developed a cough prior to embarking, began to show symptoms six days later and finally developed a fever on January 30. He was confirmed to have the virus a day after.

It is not yet known if any passengers currently sailing on the Diamond Princess had been aboard at the same time as the infected man, however, Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga confirmed that authorities will follow procedure and quarantine the ship.

Japan currently has 20 confirmed cases of the coronavirus; 17 of the infected patients had been to the Chinese city of Wuhan that is believed to be the source of the outbreak.

---

For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.

Topics From This Article to Explore