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Russians from Diamond Princess cruise ship put in quarantine in Primorsky Region

According to the Primorsky Region’s government, the Russians will remain under quarantine for 14 days

VLADIVOSTOK, February 25. /TASS/. Russian passengers from the Diamond Princess cruise ship, who returned to Russia’s Far Eastern Primorsky Region, have been put in quarantine at a hospital for infectious diseases for two weeks, the regional government said in a statement on Tuesday.

"Seven Russians from the Diamond Princess ship arrived in the city of Vladivostok on February 23. All of them were brought to a hospital for infectious diseases and had their samples taken for laboratory tests. Doctors and experts from the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing continue to monitor their health," the statement reads.

The Diamond Princess left Japan’s Yokohama for a 15-day cruise on January 20 and returned to the port on February 3. The cruise ship was put in quarantine after a man who disembarked in Hong Kong on January 25 had tested positive for the novel coronavirus. According to Japanese authorities, there were about 3,700 passengers and crew members from 50 countries aboard, including 24 Russians nationals. A total of 691 people were eventually infected with the virus and four have died.

According to the Primorsky Region’s government, the Russians will remain under quarantine for 14 days, their samples will be tested for coronavirus at the hospital and at the Novosibirsk-based Vector State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology.

Coronavirus outbreak

In late December 2019, Chinese authorities notified the World Health Organization (WHO) about the outbreak of a previously unknown pneumonia in the city of Wuhan, central China. Coronavirus cases have also been reported in 27 other countries, including Russia.

According to Chinese authorities, about 77,600 people have been infected with the virus in the country. The death toll has passed 2,660, while over 27,200 patients have recovered.

The WHO declared the outbreak of the novel coronavirus a global health emergency and named the virus COVID-19.