Coronavirus

Passengers and crew leave Diamond Princess as quarantine ends

cde.news desk 19 February 2020, 06:00 · 1 min read

US citizens wave from a bus as they leave the 'Diamond Princess' cruise ship docked at Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal for repatriation in Yokohama, south of Tokyo, Japan, early 17 February 2020. The US repatriated some 400 American citizens who had been aboard the vessel, which was quarantined amid the ongoing epidemic of the COVID-19 disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. EPA-EFE/FRANCK ROBICHON

Hundreds of people who have been stuck on board a coronavirus-hit cruise ship for two weeks are being allowed to disembark.

The ship is currently moored off the coast of Yokohama in Japan.

The controversial quarantine on the Diamond Princess has now ended – and over the past fortnight, more than 540 passengers and crew have fallen ill with COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.

About 500 people are going to be allowed to leave the ship on Wednesday, and about 2,000 others will be gradually evacuated between now and Friday.

Passengers have for days been describing the difficult quarantine situation on the vessel.

Several countries had already evacuated their citizens as infections spread.

Covid-19 has now claimed 2,004 lives in China, according to the latest Chinese data released on Wednesday.

Passengers and crew leave Diamond Princess as quarantine ends

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