The Japanese Health Ministry said that an additional 10 people on Carnival’s Diamond Princess have been infected with coronavirus after 10 others were initially confirmed to have the illness. The total number of coronavirus victims in Japan has grown to 45 as the contagion continues to spread.
The Diamond Princess, which is docked in Yokohama, is carrying 428 Americans. Passengers on the ship are facing at least a two-week quarantine.
One American passenger on the ship told Reuters that food delivery to rooms on the vessel was slow.
"It’s surprising how the ship that was turning out 5,000 gourmet meals three times a day has found it difficult to deliver sandwiches and one hot meal. Where did they put the escargot and sushi?" Gay Courter, 75, said. "Of course, our biggest worry is that we have been infected at some point."
"We are hopeful that the U.S. government will be sending transport for the Americans on board. It’s better for us to travel while healthy and, also, if we get sick, to be treated in American hospitals," she added.
The death toll from the outbreak increased by 73 to a total of 563 on Wednesday, its largest single-day jump. China’s Health Commission said an additional 3,694 people were infected by the illness on Wednesday. The total number of those affected is now more than 28,000.
The World Health Organization said that the virus is now a global public health emergency.