Published 18:10 IST, February 18th 2020

Taiwan to evacuate citizens from coronavirus-hit cruise ship in Japan

Taiwan on Tuesday said that it will send a plane to evacuate its citizens stuck in the Diamond Princess cruise ship currently anchored off the coast of Japan.

Reported by: Vishal Tiwari
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Taiwan on Tuesday said that it will send a plane to evacuate its citizens stuck in Diamond Princess cruise ship currently anchored off coast of Japan's Yokohama port. According to reports, Taiwan's Health Minister Chen Shih-Chung has said that four Taiwanese citizens on ship have tested positive for virus. Minister Chen while talking to media said that government is still discussing details and timing of evacuation process with Japanese officials. 

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As per reports, a total of 542 people have been infected by disease out of 3,000 currently present on board of vessel, including 88 people who tested positive recently. According to Taiwan's Health Ministry, re are currently 20 citizens from Taiwan present on board quarantined ship. Diamond Princess ship has seen most number of confirmed coronavirus cases reported outside China. Media reports suggest that Australia, Cana, Italy, UK, and South Korea are also planning to take ir citizens off ship. United States h alrey evacuated its citizens from ship despite facing criticism from its own people. 

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Coronavirus outbreak

According to media reports, new coronavirus has infected more than 71,000 people in China since it first broke out in December last year. United States Center for Disease Control (CDC) h earlier said that virus has alrey spre to 27 countries, including as far as western Europe. As per reports, coronavirus originated from a seafood market in China's Wuhan city, believed epicentre of disease. Media reports also stated that animals were being tred illegally in market from where disease originated.

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coronavirus has claimed more lives than its predecessor Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). According to reports, SARS, which broke out in China in 2002-2003 h claimed more than 774 lives, which is way below current death toll from COVID-19. According to reports, China on February 13 reported highest number of deaths caused by virus in a single day as 254 people died in Hubei province. 

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18:10 IST, February 18th 2020