A Japanese man and woman in their 80s, who had been aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship, have died, government sources said on Thursday. This is the first time the deaths of passengers from the vessel, stricken by an outbreak of the new coronavirus, has been confirmed. The deaths bring the toll among infected people in Japan to three, including a Kanagawa Prefecture woman, also in her 80s, who died of the disease on Feb. 13.
According to the sources, an 87-year-old man and an 84-year-old woman died after being taken to hospitals from the cruise ship. The man was hospitalized in Kanagawa Prefecture on Feb. 11, and the woman in Tokyo on Feb. 12. They were confirmed dead on Thursday. Both patients tested positive for the virus. Respiratory and blood problems were observed.
The number of infected people aboard the ship has been increasing since 10 people were confirmed to have been infected with the new coronavirus on Feb. 5. Of the 3,711 passengers and crew members aboard the ship, 621, including 270 Japanese, were confirmed to have been infected with the virus by Wednesday. As of the same day, a total of 29 people, including 15 Japanese, were being treated in intensive care units.
Meanwhile, passengers disembarked from the cruise ship on Thursday, followed those who left the previous day.
According to the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry, 443 people, mainly elderly, disembarked from the ship on Wednesday. On Thursday, about 250 Japanese and 250 foreigners were to get off the boat. Passengers were expected to finish disembarking by Friday. Disembarking passengers had no fever or other symptoms and tested negative for the virus.
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