Story at a glance
- One American passenger is among the 10 who tested positive for coronavirus.
- The passengers who tested positive are being escorted ashore to a hospital.
- A second cruise ship is quarantined in Hong Kong, where three passengers tested positive for coronavirus.
Hundreds of Americans are among the more than 5,300 people who are under a mandatory quarantine on two cruise ships off Hong Kong and Japan due to the coronavirus.
The Diamond Princess is anchored off the coast of Yokohama, with more than 1,000 crew and 2,666 passengers, including 428 Americans. Passengers are undergoing health screenings, and 10 people from the cruise ship have tested positive for the novel coronavirus that has infected more than 24,000 people in mainland China, and killed more than 490.
Princess Cruises said those who tested positive include one American passenger, three Japanese passengers, three from Hong Kong, two Australians and a crew member from the Philippines.
Japanese health officials said the 10 passengers will be escorted ashore by Japanese Coast Guard and transported to local hospitals for care. The ship will remain under quarantine in Yokohama with everyone on board for at least two weeks.
The California-based company has already cancelled the next two Diamond Princess cruises that were scheduled to depart from Yokohama.
Princess Cruises said a guest who later tested positive for coronavirus sailed from Yokohama on Jan. 20 and disembarked at Hong Kong on Jan. 25.
The passenger tested positive Saturday after visiting a hospital in Hong Kong, but did not report symptoms while on the ship.
A second ship, the World Dream, has been quarantined in Hong Kong after three people tested positive for the novel coronavirus. The three passengers are from mainland China.
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