The Japanese Health Ministry reported Wednesday that 39 more people on board the quarantined ship off Yokohama Bay tested positive for Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) bringing the number of infected to 174.
Japanese Health Minister Katsunobu Kato said 39 out of 53 test results conducted were found positive.
Kato also confirmed that a quarantine official contracted the disease, AFP reported.
“At this point, we have confirmed that four people, among those who are hospitalized, are in a serious condition, either on a ventilator or in an intensive care unit,” Kato told reporters.
The cruise ship was placed under 14-day quarantine on February 5 after one of its former passengers tested positive for the deadly virus.
The remaining passengers and crew aboard have been asked to stay in their cabins.
They were also given thermometers to monitor their temperatures as well as masks.
There are 538 Filipinos on board Diamond Princess, five of which tested positive for COVID-19.
