South Korea to evacuate Koreans from cruise ship quarantined in Japan

South Korea said on Sunday it would evacuate Koreans from a coronavirus-stricken cruise ship being held under quarantine in the Japanese port of Yokohama, after 355 people from it were found to be infected with the virus.

“The government plans to bring those Koreans home if they are tested negative from screenings by the Japanese authorities and are willing to return,” Minister of Health and Welfare Park Neung-hoo told a briefing.

The Diamond Princess, cruise ship, owned by Carnival Corp, has been quarantined since arriving in Yokohama on Feb. 3, after a man who disembarked in Hong Kong before it traveled to Japan was diagnosed with the virus.

It had some 3,700 passengers and crew on board. The United States and Hong Kong have said they will send flights to fetch their people from the ship.