Americans from quarantined cruise ship flown from Japan

Two planes carrying Americans from the quarantined cruise ship Diamond Princess have left Japan.

The aircraft chartered by the US government departed Tokyo's Haneda Airport in the early hours of Monday, Kyodo news agency reported.

There were some 400 Americans on board the ship, which has been held since 3 February due to infections from the new coronavirus which has hit China.

At least 40 US citizens are infected and will be treated in Japan. The Diamond Princess has been quarantined in Japan's port of Yokohama with some 3,700 passengers and crew on board.

The ship was held after a man who disembarked in Hong Kong was found to have the virus.

It has the largest cluster of coronavirus cases outside China. The Japanese authorities on Sunday said the number of new cases on board the ship had risen by 70 to 355.

The Americans who are infected will receive medical treatment in Japan, Dr Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases told Face the Nation on CBS.

Dhaka/Mukul