39 new coronavirus cases on quarantined Japanese ship

Tokyo, Feb 12 (IANS) The Japanese Health Ministry on Wednesday confirmed that 39 more people have tested positive for the novel coronavirus on the Diamond Princess cruise ship.The newly reported cases bring the total from the ship to 174, excluding the quarantine officer, who is considered a domestic case. Aside from the Diamond Princess's toll, the number of cases nationwide is 29, The Japan Times reported.The Health Ministry announced that 39 people - 29 passengers, 10 crew members - have tested positive.The 39 passengers and crew members that tested positive Wednesday will be taken to hospitals across nine prefectures.The Health Ministry said this is also the first time a teenager on the ship has tested positive for the coronavirus and reported that four from the ship - three of them Japanese citizens - are in serious condition. Those four people have pre-existing conditions, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said at a daily briefing on Wednesday afternoon.
--IANS rt/bg