KUALA LUMPUR: Two Malaysians on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship, which is anchored off the Yokohama Port in Japan, have tested positive for the Covid-19 coronavirus.
Two other Malaysians onboard, meanwhile, are awaiting the results of their test, Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said in a Facebook post, today.
The infected duo is believed to have been taken off the ship and is being treated at a hospital near the port; while the remaining two Malaysians are still in quarantine on the liner.
“The quarantined cruise ship Diamond Princess is the largest cluster of Covid-19 cases outside of China,” Dr Noor Hisham added.
As of Monday night, 455 passengers on board the liner have tested positive for the coronavirus.
Governments around the world have announced plans to evacuate their citizens from the cruise ship, with over 300 Americans already moved to an air force base in California.