Diamond Princess Cruise ship docked off the coast of Japan with thousands under quarantine
The U.S. is preparing to evacuate American citizens and their families who have been trapped on the virus-hit Diamond Princess cruise ship quarantined in Japan.
According to Henry Walke, director of the CDC Division of Preparedness and Emerging Infections, the State Department is arranging two flights to bring about 380 people back to the United States.
The evacuees will arrive in the U.S. as early as Sunday.
Walke also said a team was dispatched to check U.S. citizen's health conditions, and anyone with the virus' symptoms are not allowed to board the plane.
The Diamond Princess Cruise ship has been quarantined since docking at Yokohama on February 3 with 3,500 passengers and crew on board.
Currently, 218 people have been confirmed to have the illness with 11 in a critical condition.■
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