Society

Cruise ship's screening underway in Japan

Feb 04 (NHK) - Quarantine officials in Japan have boarded a cruise ship to screen its crew and passengers for the coronavirus. The move came after a Hong Kong traveler was found to have been infected, after disembarking in his home city.

The vessel returned to Yokohama after making stops in southern Japan, Hong Kong, Vietnam, and Taiwan.

Japan's health ministry says about 2,500 passengers and around 1,000 crew members are on board.

Ministry officials say people with a fever, cough, or other symptoms will be tested for the virus.

Everyone will reportedly stay on the ship until the quarantine procedures and checks are finished.

Officials expect to receive the test results before the end of Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the health ministry says it is trying to determine whether the Hong Kong voyager disembarked in the Japanese city of Kagoshima, when the ship stopped there last month.

The boat docked nearby in the Japanese city of Naha on Saturday. No passengers were found to have symptoms at that time. About 10 people got off. Officials plan to find out if any of them had close contact with the Hong Kong resident.

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