Two passengers dead from quarantined cruise ship

Two Japanese passengers who contracted the Covid-19 virus on board a cruise ship quarantined in Japan have died.

One passenger died from Covid-19, while the other died from pneumonia, said local reports. Both were in their 80s and had underlying health conditions.

They were being treated in hospitals after being taken off the Diamond Princess last week.

At least 621 people on the ship tested positive for the virus, the biggest cluster outside China.

Japan's health minister said both passengers had been sent to medical facilities after showing symptoms.

"I believe they received the best possible treatment", Katsunobu Kato added.
The Diamond Princess was carrying 3,700 people in total and passengers who tested negative for the virus began leaving the ship on Wednesday after a 14-day quarantine.

Hundreds have now disembarked from the cruise. Others are set to leave over the next two days.

More than 150 Australian passengers have already arrived in Darwin, where they will begin two weeks of quarantine.

The first batch of people from Hong Kong have also flown back to the city, where they will similarly be quarantined.

UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said the 74 Britons on board the ship would be flown home on Friday. Indonesia is also set to repatriate its citizens.
But there are fears and criticism over Japan's handling of the quarantine on the Diamond Princess.

Dhaka/Mukul