Filipino seafarer among 10 confirmed nCoV in Japanese cruise ship — report
MANILA, Philippines — A Filipino seafarer is one of the 10 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus aboard a Japanese cruise ship.
A report from CNN International identified the nationalities of the other passengers with confirmed 2019 nCoV case:
- Three from Hong Kong
- Three from Japan
- Two from Australia
- One from the United States
Passengers on board the Diamond Princess are being confined to their cabins for as long as 14 days and many expressed concern about medication running out.
Tests are being carried out on samples taken from 273 of the 3,711 people on board after a former passenger who disembarked in Hong Kong was diagnosed with the virus that has claimed almost 500 lives in China, where it originated.
Japanese Health Minister Katsunobu Kato told parliament on Tuesday that tests are being conducted on three groups: those presenting symptoms; those who disembarked in Hong Kong and those who had been in close contact with the infected passenger.
Of the 31 results received so far, 10 people tested positive for the virus. They were removed from the vessel and taken to medical facilities, Kato said.
The cruise operator said around half the passengers on board the ship are Japanese but there were no immediate details on the nationalities of the other travellers.
Third case confirmed in the Philippines
Earlier Wednesday, the Department of Health reported its third confirmed case of the 2019 nCoV in a 60-year-old Chinese woman who has since returned to her country.
Health Undersecretary Eric Domingo said that the DOH has started tracing those who she had come into contact with.
The DOH also said that there are 133 patients under investigation for suspected case of the virus. Of these, 63 are Filipinos while 54 are Chinese.
The Philippines reported its first death due to the virus outbreak last Sunday. — Kristine Joy Patag with reports from Agence France-Presse
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