Japan Health Minister apologized Saturday after 23 passengers were allowed to leave without getting tested properly.
The news came as Japan reported the first confirmed case of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) from the 970 people who left the quarantined ship.
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In a news conference, Health Minister Katsunubo Kato aired his apologies and said they “deeply regret that operational mistake caused the situation.”
Kato defended the quarantine imposed on Diamond Princess stressing there was no medical facility huge enough to monitor more than 3,000 people at once.
However, he confirmed that more passengers tested positive after disembarking from the ship.
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Six Australian passengers, eighteen Americans and one Israeli contracted disease according to their respective health authorities.
Meanwhile, 1000 crew members from the ship will disembark soon.
