Australia To Evacuate Citizens From Quarantined Diamond Princess Ship In Japan - Reports

Australia is planning to evacuate its nationals stranded aboard quarantined cruise ship Diamond Princess in Japan, media reported on Monday, citing the country's prime minister, Scott Morrison

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 17th February, 2020) Australia is planning to evacuate its nationals stranded aboard quarantined cruise ship Diamond Princess in Japan, media reported on Monday, citing the country's prime minister, Scott Morrison.

Over 200 Australians are on the ship, and 24 of them have tested positive for coronavirus, the ABC broadcaster reported. A charter flight will fly from Australia to Japan on Wednesday to bring them home.

The evacuees will be placed under a 14-day quarantine upon arrival to prevent spreading the infection further, the prime minister stated.

"I am very frustrated about it. But, our first responsibility is that we have to protect the health and safety of Australians in Australia today," Morrison said, as quoted by the broadcaster.

The Diamond Princess cruise liner, with its 3,700 travelers and crew members, was placed under quarantine until February 19 after a passenger tested positive for the new coronavirus. Several countries have now aimed to evacuate its nationals as the number of those infected onboard continues to rise.

The new strain of coronavirus � COVID-19 � was first detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan last December and has since spread to more than 25 countries. The virus has already resulted in 1,775 fatalities, with over 70,000 people having been infected.