An eight-day cruise on Diamond Princess has been cancelled after Japanese health officials initially quarantined the vessel for 24 hours when a passenger on a previous voyage tested positive for the deadly virus.
The passenger, from Hong Kong, had sailed from Yokohama on 20 January as part of a longer itinerary. He left the vessel in Hong Kong five days later and tested positive for coronavirus on 1 February.
The ship has 2,666 guests and 1,045 crew who remain onboard.
In a statement, Princess Cruises said: “Princess Cruises confirms that a guest from Hong Kong who travelled for five days on Diamond Princess from Yokohama (Tokyo) on January 20, and disembarked in Hong Kong on January 25, tested positive for coronavirus on February 1, six days after leaving the ship.
“He was not seen in the ship medical centre for any reported illnesses during the voyage. The guest has been admitted to a local hospital and is reported to be in a stable condition.”
The ship’s next sailing has been cancelled. The cruise line is in discussions with health officials to decide what action it needs to take.
“We fully appreciate this decision will be disappointing, but the safety, security and wellbeing 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,” Princess said.
Separately, Hong Kong has now reported its first death from the virus and neighbouring Macao has closed all casinos for a fortnight in a bid to stop the disease spreading.
