Four Australian cases confirmed on Diamond Princess cruise ship

Authorities are scrambling to deliver medicine to the quarantined Diamond Princess as one in three people tested are confirmed to have coronavirus.

The number of coronavirus cases on the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship have spiked to 135 after another 65 people on board tested positive.

Eleven Australians have been infected with coronavirus on the Diamond Princess, after another four Australians were confirmed yesterday.

This brings the total number of cases on the ship to 135, with 439 people tested so far — meaning close to one in three people tested have returned positive results.

Japan’s health minister Katsunobu Kato said his government was considering now testing all of the crew and passengers before allowing them to disembark from the ship, moored off Japan.

Five of the six new cases announced yesterday were crew assigned to restaurants, bars or housekeeping, according to Mr Kato.

Testing every person aboard would require them all to remain on the ship until results are available.

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Medical staff clad in protective gear prepare to provide care for suspected coronavirus patients on-board the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship. Picture: Kazuhiro Nogi/AFP

Japanese health authorities are scrambling to deliver medicine requested by more than 600 passengers.

“We are doing the utmost to keep everyone in good health,” Mr Kato said.

“We have to respond to the worries and concerns of the public.”

So far 336 potentially infected people on board the ship have been tested.

Passengers have previously described “floating prison”-like conditions as they were told they couldn’t even leave their cabins.

The cruise ship has the biggest known cluster of cases outside China.

Last week an image has emerged from the ship claiming, “medicine lacking”.

Other horrifying pictures surfaces from a number of other cruise ships also stranded.

One image emerged of a person being stretchered off a cruise ship stranded in Hong Kong after multiple passengers tested positive for the coronavirus.

At the time cruise giant Royal Caribbean also announced a ban on Chinese, Hong Kong and Macao passports holders.

Queensland couple Paul and Jacqui Fidrmuc are among those stuck on Diamond Princess and earlier told of how they were frightened, anxiously waiting out their 14-day quarantine period.

“It’s a frightening situation but it is not a disease where if you get it, it’s certain death,” Mr Fidrmuc said.

“You just have to be lighthearted about the whole situation. It’s a little bit daunting. But look, we can’t do anything … We are good strong healthy people and we’ve got good immune systems and fingers crossed that … we can fight it off.

“We feel for those in interior rooms with no window.”

Authorities said the Diamond Princess outbreak could be traced to an 80-year-old Hong Kong man who disembarked the ship last month.

Coronavirus first emerged in the city of Wuhan in China in December and has resulted in 910 deaths, making it more deadly than the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic.

There are now a total of 40,553 cases of the coronavirus worldwide, including 15 infections in Australia. “

Of those infections, 6500 are severe, according to official data.

The Diamond Princess cruise ship anchored at the Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal in Yokohama port. Picture: Charly Triballeau/AFP