Coronavirus: sick evacuees are isolated in Australia, as two cruise passengers die in Japan

Six cruise ship evacuees have been isolated in a quarantine centre near Darwin, as two passengers are confirmed dead in Japan.

Passengers evacuated from the cruiseship Diamond Princess are driven to a quarantine facility near Darwin. Picture: Glenn Campbell

Six evacuees from the corona­virus-hit cruise ship Diamond Princess have been further isolated within a quarantine centre outside Darwin after developing flu-like symptoms consistent with having contracted the potentially deadly illness.

The news comes after the Japanese health ministry revealed that two elderly passengers taken from the ship had died after testing positive for COVID-19.

Scott Morrison announced late on Thursday the federal cabinet’s national security committee had decided to extend travel restrictions on foreign nationals entering Australia for a further week to February 29.

“The committee has advised that there are signs the spread of the coronavirus in Chinese provinces outside Hubei province is slowing,” the government said in a statement.

“We will need to watch closely whether this positive trend continues as people return to work after the holidays. Unfortunately, the number of infections and deaths in Hubei province itself continues to grow.”

Earlier, about 170 evacuated Australian cruise ship passengers arrived in the Top End capital aboard a government-chartered Qantas flight. About 10 more people had planned to board the aircraft in Japan but tested positive for COVID-19 at the last minute.

An ambulance was on standby when the plane landed, and medical officers in blue suits were seen waiting at the foot of the stairs as the passengers exited one by one.

The returning group will join 266 evacuees from the mainland Chinese city of Wuhan at the Manigurr-ma Village quarantine centre. The Wuhan evacuees are due to leave on Sunday, but those arriving from Japan will have to stay in quarantine for two weeks.

Health authorities have said the two groups are being kept separated, with six evacuees suffering flu-like symptoms further isolated while they undergo precautionary testing. The new arrivals, many of whom are elderly, will be screened daily and given medical care for any other conditions.

More than 620 of the Diamond Princess’s roughly 3700 passengers and crew have so far caught the virus. Health authorities have conceded the people returning from the Diamond Princess may be at slightly higher risk of having COVID-19 than the people on two earlier flights from Wuhan. Anyone who tests positive will be taken in a special ambulance to Royal Darwin Hospital.

The Prime Minister said Australia’s embassy in Tokyo was supporting 47 former Diamond Princess passengers with the virus, and those who had opted to stay with infected family members or finish quarantine onboard.

Japanese authorities on Wednesday began allowing those who had tested negative to leave the ship. Health Minister Katsunobu Kato initially said those with negative tests had fulfilled the quarantine period, but he urged them to stay home for two weeks.

So far there have been more than 75,200 confirmed coronavirus cases recorded worldwide and 2009 deaths, almost all in China.

Mr Morrison said 10 of the 15 infected patients in Australia had fully recovered.

Additional reporting: AAP, AP