Crew members to start disembarking from virus-hit Diamond Princess in Japan

TOKYO - Crew members on the novel coronavirus-inflicted Diamond Princess cruise ship which was quarantined in the Japanese port of Yokohama will start disembarking on Thursday, the government said.

According to the health ministry, the disembarkation of some 240 crew members, including many foreign nationals, is expected to last several days.

After disembarking, they will stay at the National Tax College in Wako, Saitama Prefecture, near Tokyo for further monitoring for about two weeks, the ministry said. They can leave the facility if tested negative for the virus.

The cruise ship, initially carrying around 3,700 passengers and crew from more than 50 countries and regions, has been quarantined at the Yokohama Port south of Tokyo since Feb 5 after a passenger who disembarked in Hong Kong on Jan 25 tested positive for the virus.

So far, Japan has confirmed nearly 900 coronavirus infections, with most of them stemming from the quarantined ship.