Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 24) – The number of Filipinos on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship who have tested positive for coronavirus has risen to 59, Health Assistant Secretary Maria Rosairo Vergeire confirmed Monday.

Last week, 47 out of 538 Filipino passengers and crew members on board the ship were confirmed to have contracted the virus that causes the COVID-19 disease.

Of the 59, two have already been discharged from the hospital while five more are expected to be released with the week, officials said.

PH gov't all set for tomorrow's repatriation

Meanwhile, Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Eduardo Meñez said the test results of all Filipinos on board the virus-hit ship will be released tomorrow, February 25. They will be taken back to the Philippines on the same day.

Civil Aeronautics Board executive director Carmelo Arcilla earlier bared that two special flights are expected to arrive in a two-hour interval tomorrow evening carrying Filipinos who will be subjected to the 14-day quarantine period at the New Clark City in Capas, Tarlac.

Philippine Airlines will be operating these two flights from Haneda Airport in Tokyo.

Vergeire refused to give further details about this but confirmed that arrangements were already finalized to smoothen out the transport process.

Over 400 Filipinos aboard the cruise ship initially expressed interest to go back to the country, but they will still be subject to further testing, Vergeire reminded. This means that this is not yet the total number of those who will return to the Philippines.

The 59 who tested positive for the virus will not be among those to be flown home tomorrow.

"Sa lahat po ng magiging positibo, iiwan po natin sa Japan para magamot o ma-quarantine (those who will test positive will be left in Japan to get treatment or undergo quarantine)," she said.

Another set of testing procedures will also be done before landing. Those who will manifest signs of respiratory illness will be isolated in one area of the aircraft and will be taken to a government-identified hospital for further treatment upon disembarkation.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro "Teddy Boy" Locsin who earlier said that the evacuation is scheduled for February 25, after it was delayed for two days.

"We did want to send them home [last] Sunday but due to the lack of full testing results, [we] decided to postpone the repatriation," Meñez said.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Health will provide nine doctors and two embassy personnel to accompany the Filipino evacuees. Twenty medical teams from DOH hospitals will also be in charge of manning the quarantine facility.

Meanwhile, a total of 132 patients in the Philippines who are "under investigation" remain in hospitals while 474 others have already been discharged after yielding negative results in consecutive tests, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said earlier in the day.