MANILA, Philippines — Eight more Filipinos aboard a cruise ship quarantined off Japan tested positive for the coronavirus disease, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Tuesday.
This brings the total number of Filipinos aboard Diamond Princess who
are infected by COVID-19 to 35.
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In an interview on CNN Philippines, DFA Undersecretary Brigido Dulay said most of the infected Filipinos are “asymptomatic and healthy.”
“Our embassy is in touch with them, each one of them. We want to make sure
that they’re okay, they’re being taken care of,” Dulay said.
The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases will discuss plans for the evacuation of over 500 Filipinos aboard the cruise ship.
The total number of diagnosed aboard Diamond Princess rose to 454—the biggest cluster of infections outside China. Since February 3,
passengers have been confined to their cabins for a 14-day quarantine period.
The coronavirus disease that emerged in
central Chinese city of Wuhan late last year has spread to nearly 30 locations. It has infected
more than 72,000 people and killed over 1,800.