"We've organised an evacuation flight for British nationals on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship to depart Tokyo on Friday. Details have been sent to those who have registered for the flight. We urge other British nationals still seeking to leave to contact us. We will continue to support British nationals who wish to stay in Japan", Raab said in a statement.
A bus arrives near the cruise ship Diamond Princess, where dozens of passengers were tested positive for coronavirus
© REUTERS / ATHIT PERAWONGMETHA
The Diamond Princess cruise liner was placed under quarantine after a passenger who left the vessel in Hong Kong tested positive for the novel coronavirus, dubbed COVID-19. A total of 3,711 passengers and crew are aboard the vessel. So far, 621 people have tested positive for the virus.
The current death toll from the deadly epidemic has exceeded 2,100 people, with over 75,000 others being infected worldwide. Meanwhile, more than 16,000 patients have fully recovered.
