Coronavirus: Pictures from quarantined cruise ship shows masked men, empty corridors

Thousands of passengers and crew members are confined to their cruise ships after they were placed under quarantine on Wednesday. According to media reports, more than 3,000 people are facing at least two weeks lockdown away on a cruise ship anchored off the coast of Japan after health officials confirmed that 10 people on board the ship tested positive for the virus. In Hong Kong, more than 3,600 people are locked down in their cruise ship after three aboard tested positive. 

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A passenger onboard the Japanese ship Diamond Princess shared pictures on social media where health officials in masks and gowns were seen moving and conducting health checks. According to reports, it is not yet clear how long the passenger will have to stay quarantined on board Hong Kong's World Dream ship which was docked after Taiwan denied its entry on Tuesday. Japan has reported 33 cases of coronavirus while Hong Kong has confirmed 18 cases of the virus, including at least four transmitted locally.

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Coronavirus outbreak

The outbreak of the deadly coronavirus has claimed more than 490 lives in China alone, international press reported. Media reports suggest that as of Wednesday the confirmed cases have reached up to 20,000. As per US CDC, confirmed cases of the virus have been reported in 27 other countries. The disease is believed to have originated in a seafood market in Hubei's Wuhan city, the epicentre of the virus outbreak, where animals were being traded illegally. 

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China is handling the situation quite effectively as just recently the country built a hospital in a record time of just eight days to house the patients affected by the disease. International press earlier reported that Chinese authorities have imposed a strict quarantine in 12 cities across the country, 11 of which are in the Hubei province. Beijing is also building another hospital in the Wuhan with a capacity of an estimated 1,600 beds. 

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(With Agency Inputs)