Coronavirus: 88 new positive cases detected on board the "Diamond Princess"

It is the largest focus of the coronavirus epidemic outside of China. The new tests carried out on 681 people on board the liner "Diamond Princess" currently immobilized in Yokohama revealed 88 additional positive cases.

According to the Japanese Ministry of Health this brings to 542 the total number of cases noted on the 3,700 passengers and crew members initially on board. Other test results are expected later.

Faced with this situation, the Japanese authorities distributed 2,000 iPhones to passengers. Smartphones must allow passengers to communicate with a doctor via an app, available only on the Japanese App Store.

Two Frenchmen diagnosed positive on board

The United States evacuated some 300 nationals and their families from the ship with two planes, the first of which landed in California and Texas on the night of Sunday to Monday. Fourteen of these passengers are infected and have been hospitalized. The other returnees will have to observe a quarantine of 14 days, the supposed maximum duration of the incubation.

For French nationals, a second positive case has already been diagnosed among the four French nationals aboard the liner Diamond Princess.

Coronavirus: the logbook of a quarantined passenger on a ship in Japan

Other governments, including Australia and Italy, have announced plans to evacuate their citizens. Hong Kong also said it wanted to repatriate its relatives - 330 nationals - "as soon as possible". Ottawa has taken a similar initiative for approximately 250 Canadians.