Two patients with the new coronavirus, a woman and a man in their eighties from the quarantined liner Diamond Princess in Japan, have died, authorities and media said. "The man is a resident of Kanagawa prefecture," said the governor of this region bordering Tokyo. Details of the woman, who also died on television, were unknown, with authorities wishing the family to be informed before an official announcement was made.
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These are the first deaths observed among confirmed carriers of the virus on the cruise ship (621 people, including 270 Japanese, 88 Americans, 50 Canadians and 48 Australians). The two octogenarians were suffering from pre-existing conditions and were evacuated from the boat on February 11 and 12, the public broadcaster NHK said.
With a total number of 621 cases listed on the Diamond Princess , this cruise ship docked in the port of Yokohama, in the suburbs of Tokyo, is the most important source of the virus outside of China. On Wednesday, 443 healthy passengers disembarked. The evacuation of all travelers should take at least three days. Some 500 others were due to descend from the liner on Thursday.
The results of exams for several hundred others are still awaited, but in the immediate future, since the 14 days of quarantine are over, the cruise lines showing no symptoms, whose tests have been negative and which have not not had contact with people carrying the virus, are eligible for departure, the oldest in priority.
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