Coronavirus: Princess Cruises ship quarantined in Japan
A Princess Cruises ship has been quarantined in Japan with 2,666 guests and 1,045 crew on board.
It has emerged a passenger who had sailed on Diamond Princess last month was later diagnosed with the virus.
As a precaution, an eight-day cruise due to depart from Yokohama on Tuesday has been cancelled “to help facilitate the health screening and records review process by the local authorities”.
The ship had initially been quarantined until Tuesday evening.
The passenger boarded the ship on January 20 in Yokohama but during a stop in Hong Kong on January 25, he disembarked and was subsequently diagnosed with coronavirus.
The hospital said he is in stable condition and the family members travelling with him remain symptom-free.
Addressing the cancellation, a Princess Cruises spokesperson said: “We fully appreciate this decision will be disappointing but the safety, security and well-being of our guests and crew and the places we visit are our absolute priority.
“All guests will receive a full refund and a 100% future cruise credit.
“We are working with the relevant health authorities to determine the future action required and will provide updates as soon as we have more information.”
Cruise industry body Clia issued an edict on Friday saying that passengers or crew who have travelled from or through mainland China in the previous 14 days would be denied boarding.
Some cruise ships have already cancelled China sailings and altered Asia itineraries, including departures from Shanghai.
Meanwhile, cruise passengers on Seabourn Ovation have been prevented from disembarking by Vietnamese authorities over fears the coronavirus could spread.
The number of deaths from coronavirus in China has risen to 425, with more than 20,000 confirmed cases, according to the latest reports.
At least 150 cases have been reported in other countries, with one fatality in the Philippines. One has also been confirmed in Hong Kong.
A Costa Cruises ship was held in quarantine last week near Rome over fears a Chinese couple had coronavirus, which later turned out to be the common flu.
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