Ten more HK people infected on quarantined ship

Twenty-one of 330 Hong Kong residents on board the Diamond Princess have tested positive for the new coronavirus. Photo: AP

Ten more Hong Kong people currently quarantined on board a cruise ship in Japan have been confirmed to be infected with the new coronavirus, bringing the total to 21.



The updated figure was given by the Security Bureau in Hong Kong, after authorities in Japan said the number of infected people of all nationalities on the ship rose on Sunday to 355.



The bureau said the SAR government is arranging a chartered flight to bring back around 330 Hong Kong people who were on the Diamond Princess, and all will be sent to quarantine camps for another 14 days as a precaution – even though they would have already completed two weeks of quarantine on the cruise ship itself.



The vessel has been in quarantine since February 5 at the port of Yokohama near Tokyo, after authorities found a passenger who got off in Hong Kong during the voyage had tested positive for the Covid-19 virus.



Japan’s health minister, Katsunobu Kato, said 355 people have been confirmed to be infected out of 1,219 people tested so far – up 70 from Saturday’s tally.



The ship was carrying more than 3,700 passengers and crew from more than 50 countries and territories when it docked and was placed in isolation. (Additional reporting by AFP)