Okinawa Gov. Denny Tamaki speaks during a news conference at the Okinawa Prefectural Government building in Naha, on Feb. 14, 2020. (Mainichi/Takayasu Endo)

NAHA -- An Okinawan taxi driver who drove at least one passenger from the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship earlier in February has tested positive for the new coronavirus, the Okinawa Prefectural Government announced on Feb. 14.

Okinawa Gov. Denny Tamaki had told a news conference earlier that there was a suspected case of infection in the southernmost prefecture, and that the person involved was believed to have had contact with a passenger on the Diamond Princess. The taxi driver was identified as a woman in her 60s. The woman had received a medical checkup after showing symptoms of suspected pneumonia.

According to the Okinawa Prefectural Government, there is a possibility that roughly 2,600 passengers disembarked from the Diamond Princess when the ship called at Naha Port in the prefecture on Feb. 1. Approximately 200 people including tourist bus drivers who have had contact with those passengers have been through medical checkups.

(Japanese original by Takayasu Endo, Naha Bureau)