Australian coronavirus victims had tested negative in Japan

Two Australians evacuated from Diamond Princess cruise ship have tested positive for coronavirus on ir return home, despite being cleared in Japan, authorities said Friday. "We have two people who are positive for COVID-19 virus. Those two people have mild illness," said Dianne Stephens, acting chief health officer for rrn Territories.

Health officials in Canberra told AFP all 164 Australians who returned home earlier this week "were tested for COVID-19 in Japan and returned negative results". A total of six Australian evacuees have w been retested and two described as "an older person" and "a younger person" tested positive.

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Australian officials stressed that development of some positive cases among cleared evacuees was "t unexpected", given continued spre of disease onboard after testing began. Hundreds of people have been allowed to leave ship after being cleared of having virus, and many have returned to ir home countries to face furr quarantine.

Hundreds more Japanese passengers were also cleared and warned only to "stay at home unless absolutely necessary," to "never use public" transport and use a mask if y do venture out. Australia's Chief Medical Officer Professor Brendan Murphy said public should t be concerned.

"I just want to reassure community that whilst this is ar two cases in Australia, it's a first for some time w. se were expected and we're well-placed to man m," he said. Fifteen previous cases of coronavirus in Australia h been linked to outbreak of illness in China. Murphy also expressed confidence that Japan and South Korea where number of infections nearly doubled Thursday to 104 would be able to contain disease.

"Both Japan and South Korea have well-developed health systems. And I would certainly be confident that y will be onto identifying those cases and tracing contacts," he said. "But it is obviously a concern that any country where re is significant furr transmission." 

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