by Donald Wood
Last updated: 8:49 AM ET, Wed February 5, 2020
Health officials in Japan announced at least 10 people who were sailing on a now quarantined cruise ship have been infected by the novel coronavirus.
According to the Washington Post, Princess Cruises' Diamond Princess and the 2,666 guests and 1,045 crew members on board have remained quarantined at sea at the port of Yokohama since arriving Monday.
After health officials administered screenings for each passenger and member of the staff, it was determined that three travelers from Japan, three from Hong Kong, two from Australia, one from America and one crew member from the Philippines had all been infected with the coronavirus.
The 10 infected passengers were removed from the ship and transported to local hospitals in Kanagawa, according to Japan's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. The remaining guests and crew members will remain under quarantine in Yokohama for at least 14 days.
"The ship plans to go out to sea to perform normal marine operations including, but not limited to, the production of fresh water and ballast operations before proceeding alongside in Yokohama where food, provisions, and other supplies will be brought on board," a Princess spokesperson said in a statement.
"Guests will continue to be provided complimentary internet and telephone to use in order to stay in contact with their family and loved ones, and the ship's crew is working to keep all guests comfortable," the statement continued.
As a result of the ongoing quarantine, Princess has announced the cancellation of the next two sailings for the Diamond Princess. Passengers still on board the stranded vessel say the situation is "very serious and scary."
As fears surrounding the continued coronavirus outbreak in China spread, ports around the world are turning away ships and forcing cruise lines to alter itineraries. At least three cruise ships have made headlines recently when they were denied entry.
A new study also found that visits from Chinese nationals to the U.S. could drop by as much as 28 percent this year due to concerns about coronavirus.
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