Nagasaki Prefecture announced Wednesday that additional 33 crew members have been infected with the new coronavirus aboard the massive Costa Atlantica cruise ship, which has a crew of 623 and is anchored at Nagasaki Port in Koyagimachi disrict, Nagasaki City.
One crew member aboard the ship, carrying no passengers, was previously found to be infected, meaning the sum of infected crew members was 34 as of Wednesday.
The prefectural government is trying to trace the infection, suspecting a cluster, or a group of infected people, had formed on the ship.
The prefecture has not obtained consent from the 34 infected to disclose their nationality, age or gender.
According to information released, the ship is operated by Italian cruise company Costa Crociere S.p.A. The vessel arrived in Nagasaki in late January and underwent repairs from Feb. 20 to March 25 at the Koyagi factory Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. runs at the Nagasaki shipyard.
The vessel subsequently remained at the port, with the crew leaving the ship for the city and other locations.
The prefecture asked crew members not to come ashore on March 13, but crew members disembarked the following day as well ensuing dates.
Costa Crociere consulted the city's public health center on April 14 because a crew member had a fever. The prefectural government and other officials collected test samples from 57 persons aboard the ship, including crew members who might have had direct interaction. Thirty-three came back positive, 23 were negative and one was inconclusive.
According to the prefectural government, those with mild symptoms will continue to be monitored on board, even if they test positive, while only patients with severe symptoms will be admitted to designated medical facilities.
According to the Japan branch of Costa Crociere, there are 623 crew members aboard, including one Japanese national who is a translator, and those who might have had close contact with the infected are currently in isolation.
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