Report: Japan quarantines cruise ship after previous passenger tests positive for coronavirus

TOKYO - The Japanese government will reportedly quarantine a cruise ship after a previous passenger tested positive for coronavirus after leaving the ship in Hong Kong on Jan. 25.

The Diamond Princess, which is owned by Carnival Corporation, returned to Yokohama carrying over 3,000 passengers and crew members after making port calls in Vietnam, Taiwan and Okinawa.

Reuters reports Japan's government made the decision to quarantine the ship after an 80-year-old man tested positive for the virus. The passenger flew to Japan and boarded the ship on Jan. 20. He developed a cough the day before the trip but did not develop a fever until Jan. 30, five days after the ship returned to port.

A team of quarantine officials and medical staff boarded the ship on Monday night and began medical checks of everyone on board, a health ministry official said on condition of anonymity, citing department rules.

He said some people on the ship have developed coughs, fevers and other symptoms, though they were not yet linked to the virus.

“The safety, security and well-being of all guests and crew is our absolute priority,” Princess Cruises said in a statement to the Miami Herald. “The review of the arriving guests and crew, by Japanese health authorities, is standard practice after a guest tested positive for coronavirus and we are working closely with the local authorities to provide detailed records to facilitate their review.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.