Health Ministry To Review Diamond Princess Cases
Japan's health ministry plans to review its handling of coronavirus infections on the cruise ship Diamond Princess.
At a news conference on Sunday, health minister Katsunobu Kato said the ministry has collected necessary data and will choose an appropriate time for the review, while keeping a close watch on the outbreak in Japan.
As of Sunday, all passengers and crewmembers had disembarked from the virus-stricken Diamond Princess moored at Yokohama Port.
One passenger had been found to have the virus after leaving the ship in Hong Kong on February 1.
All the passengers were then asked to stay in their rooms and be tested for the virus. Those who tested negative were allowed to disembark in phases, starting on February 19.
The mass infection lead to 705 cases on the ship. That was 20 percent of the more than 3,700 people on board.
Seven people from the ship have died. Six cases have been reported in which people who tested negative were later confirmed to have the virus after returning home.
Health minister Kato says international debate will be necessary for dealing with a possible increase in the number of tourists taking cruises.
