Two Russian nationals have left the cruise ship Diamond Princess, as authorities are lifting the quarantine, the Russian Embassy in Japan stated on Wednesday. According to diplomats, the women will only be able to leave the country on Thursday or perhaps even later.
There are 20 more Russian nationals on the ship, and they are expected to leave the Diamond Princess by Friday.
In the meantime, 542 passengers on the quarantined vessel have tested positive for the coronavirus, while 254 of those individuals did not show any symptoms during testing. All those infected have been sent to local hospitals for treatment. Apart from the passengers, there are 61 confirmed coronavirus cases across Japan at the moment.
The new coronavirus, named COVID-19, was initially reported in the Chinese city of Wuhan, Hubei Province in December. At least 74,000 people are infected across the country with the death toll surpassing 2,000.