Four Thais who left quarantine yesterday from a cruise ship where more than 600 people became infected were found to have the coronavirus.
Among the 25 Thai passengers and crew aboard the Diamond Princess, which saw instances of COVID-19 mushroom during its two-week quarantine off of Yokohama, Japan, the four Thais to take ill included three crew members and one passenger, according to Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman Cherdkiat Atthakor and a later update on Friday.
They are being treated at a hospital in Tokyo. Cherdkiat said the Thai embassy in Tokyo has been closely monitoring the three patients, whose conditions are currently “stable.”
Japan announced Thursday morning that two elderly passengers, both in their 80s, had died.
The ship had nearly 3,000 passengers when one disembarked in Hong Kong and was found to have contracted the virus. It returned to Yokohama and placed in quarantine, where 620 people have since tested positive for the virus.
In related developments, Thailand has asked Israel to reconsider its travel ban on Thais due to its impact on thousands of Thai workers there. About 5,000 Thai workers part of a bilateral migrant labor accord could be affected after Israel yesterday announced a ban of travelers from the kingdom along with those from Singapore, Hong Kong and Macao.
Hong Kong today welcomed its people home from the virus-plagued Diamond Princess cruise ship where hundreds took ill, including two elderly passengers who Japanese media say died this morning.
While the virus’ march across China may be slowing, regional neighbors are recording new cases and monitoring those returning home, such as in the Philippines, where hundreds were to be repatriated from the same stricken vessel.
Japan yesterday announced 79 more positive cases aboard the ship, bringing the total number of infected to at least 621 – nearly one in five of its roughly 3,700 passengers and crew. About 150 Australians also returned home this morning except for one family from Melbourne, after a member tested positive for the virus hours before leaving the ship, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.
COVID-19 has infected more than 70,000 people in China and killed at least 2,000 people there. Iran yesterday reported two deaths due to the coronavirus and the first fatalities in the Middle East.
The disease is also raising fears of a rapid spread in South Korea, which recorded its second surge in two days of confirmed cases today after another 31 infections were announced by health officials, bringing the total to 82.
Most of the cases were located in the city of Daegu. A K-pop concert featuring prominent boy band BTS scheduled there for early March was postponed Wednesday.
Other regional developments:
Singapore
- Three more infections announced:
- Case 82: A 57-year-old Singaporean woman who was originally admitted to hospital for dengue fever tested positive on Feb. 18.
- Case 83: A 54-year-old Singaporean man who travels to Malaysia frequently for work and is linked to the Life Church and Missions tested positive Feb. 19.
- Case 84: A 35-year-old Singaporean woman linked to the Grace Assembly of God cluster of infections tested positive Feb. 19.
- There are now 22 cases linked to the Grace Assembly of God and six cases linked to the Life Church and Missions.
- Five more patients were discharged from hospitals yesterday, including Singapore’s first confirmed case. In all, 34 people have recovered and been discharged.
COVID-19: Here’s every coronavirus infection in Singapore on a map
Hong Kong
- The first batch of 106 Hong Kong residents from the formerly quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship arrived home this morning on a chartered flight. They were taken to a quarantine site in Fo Tan.
- There were around 350 Hong Kong residents on the ship and had been contacted by city authorities, Secretary for Security John Lee Ka-chiu said yesterday.
- Fifty-three other Hong Kongers from the ship contracted the virus.
Malaysia
- Two more people have recovered from COVID-19 and were discharged from the Sungai Buloh Hospital yesterday. They were:
- Case 17: The 65-year-old mother-in-law of a Malaysian man who contracted the virus at a business meeting in Singapore.
- Case 18: A 32-year-old Malaysian man who works in Macao and recently traveled to China.
Manila
- Filipinos from virus-hit Diamond Princess cruise ship:
- Forty-one Filipino crew members have tested positive for the virus. One has recovered and was discharged from a Japanese hospital, the Philippines foreign department said yesterday.
- Authorities are finalizing plans today to bring home the remaining hundreds of Filipinos disembarking the ship and facing another round of quarantine back home.
- About 530 of the 3,700 from the cruise ship are Filipino.
Update: This story was updated Friday to reflect announcement that a fourth Thai passenger had returned from the Diamond Princess cruise ship.
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