Photo/Du Xiaoyi (Xinhua)

Feb. 10 (NBD) – On Monday, sixty more people were tested positive for the novel coronavirus among 3,700 passengers and crew aboard the quarantined cruise ship Diamond Princess in Yokohama, Japan, according to the country's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.

This brings the total number of confirmed cases on the cruise ship to 130.

The vessel was put on lockdown after an 80-year-old man who disembarked in Hong Kong, China on January 25 tested positive for the virus. The ship was quarantined upon arrival in Yokohama on February 3.

According to an updated report published on Sunday by Kyodo News, around 100 people on the cruise ship were sick with fever or other symptoms, and they were put under quarantine and inspection.

With regard to such a rapid rate of disease-spreading, Amesh Adalja, senior scholar at Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, said to National Business Daily (NBD) in an interview that it is very easy for a communicable disease spread through the respiratory route to move through a lot of people in a setting like that. "The priority should be to get the passengers off the ship and connect those that need it to appropriate medical care," Adalja added.

However, this may not come very soon.

The Japanese government is considering to conduct testing for the novel coronavirus on all crew and passengers on board. According to The Japan Times, Katsunobu Kato, the country's Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare, said on Monday that the crew and passengers aboard Diamond Princess will be allowed to disembark the Diamond Princess only after all test results become available.

Email: lansuying@nbd.com.cn