65 more coronavirus cases on Japan cruise ship: Government

Ar 65 people aboard quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship moored off Japan have been diagsed with vel coronavirus, health ministry said Monday, bringing total number of kwn infections to 135.

Diamond Princess has been in quarantine since arriving off Japanese coast early last week after virus was detected in a former passenger who got off ship last month in Hong Kong.

"Test results from 103 people have w come out and 65 of m are confirmed positive for new coronavirus," ministry said in a statement without giving furr details such as ir nationalities.

Authorities have continued to test people for virus where "necessary", statement ded.

cruise ship operator said 66 people h been newly diagsed, mostly Japanese, but re were also Australians, Filipis and a Canian, a Brit and a Ukrainian. re was immediate clarity on discrepancy between that figure and health ministry's.

When boat arrived off Japan, authorities initially tested nearly 300 people for virus of 3,711 on board, grually evacuating dozens who were infected to local medical facilities.

In recent days, testing has expanded to those with new symptoms or who h close contact with or infected passengers or crew, and several more cases were reported over weekend.

Those who remain on ship have been asked to stay inside ir cabins and allowed only briefly onto open decks.

y have been asked to wear masks and keep a distance from each or when outside, and given rmometers to regularly monitor ir temperatures.

ship is expected to stay in quarantine until February 19 -- 14 days after isolation period began.

quarantine has me life on board ship difficult, particularly for those in windowless interior cabins and a significant number of passengers who require medication for various chronic conditions.

health ministry said Monday that around 600 people on board urgently needed medication, and around half received supplies over weekend.

Health Minister Katsubu Kato told reporters that discussions were ongoing about how to increase testing capacity and also wher testing would take place after passengers are released from quarantine.

World Health Organization confirmed in a tweet that newly diagsed cases on ship should t extend length of quarantine.

" quarantine period of #DiamondPrincess will come to an end on 19 February," WHO said in a tweet.

" period will be extended beyond 19 Feb as appropriate only for close contacts of newly confirmed cases. y need to remain in quarantine for 14 days from last contact with a confirmed case." On board ship, news of ditional infections sparked worry for some, with passenger Yardley Wong tweeting "stress and high anxiety".

"I need to cry to get off anxiety," she wrote.

Passengers also tweeted pictures of new supplies delivered to quarantined passengers on Monday: wet wipes and heavy-duty filtration face masks.

re are 26 confirmed cases of new virus in Japan apart from infections on board ship, among m citizens evacuated from Wuhan, Chinese city where outbreak emerged.

Japan is planning to send a fifth evacuation flight to Wuhan later this week, local media said.

outbreak has caused ecomic havoc, forcing firms to suspend operations in China and causing supply chain problems elsewhere.

Nissan said Monday it was carrying out "temporary supply justments" at its Kyushu plant as a result of a short in supply of parts from China.

It said it will restart operations at its Huu and Dalian plants in China on February 17 "at earliest." "Restart dates for or plants will differ," it ded.