02/07/2020 - 4:04
- Clarín.com
- Society
An Argentine passenger on the quarantine in Japan is among the 61 people who have contracted the new coronavirus, Japanese authorities announced Friday.
This is the first confirmed case of a Latin American diagnosed with the new coronavirus that has been announced so far.
The cruise, which arrived Monday night near the port of Yokohama (southwest of Tokyo), has about 3,700 passengers and crew, of which 273 have undergone screening tests.
"The results of the remaining 171 tests arrived, of which 41 were positive," Japanese Health Minister Katsunobu Kato announced Friday, tripling the initial number of cases. These patients will be hospitalized, as will the previous ones.
In addition to the Argentine, there are 21 Japanese, 8 Americans, 5 Canadians, 5 Australians and one British , according to information provided by the ministry.
The tests were initially limited to people who had symptoms or who had been in contact with a passenger who disembarked in Hong Kong and who was diagnosed with the disease.
But now the Health Minister said he will undergo additional tests on vulnerable people on board , such as the elderly, and those who have been in contact with the new positive cases. No figure has been given.
The Diamond Princess docked at Yokohama Thursday for a quarantine that could last until February 19.
Twenty people had already tested positive . They were evacuated from the ship. One of them is in serious condition, the Health Ministry announced Friday without going into details.
Source: AFP
