Japanese authorities are racing to contain a possible outbreak of the coronavirus after it was revealed that an infected passenger flew into Tokyo and spent a few days aboard a Princess Cruises ship, forcing authorities to lock down the vessel and quarantine thousands of people on board.
The ship ended its planned 14-day itinerary early and is currently docked off the coast of Yokohama.
Medical officials are going room-by-room to check each guests' temperature and medical condition, Japan's health ministry said, adding that several passengers have reported feeling ill, and the tests to check if they contracted the virus will take four to five hours, CNN reported.
There are 2,666 guests and 1,045 crew members on board, Princess Cruises said. They will be required to stay on board until at least Tuesday night.
The man who tested positive for the virus is an 80-year-old from Hong Kong. The infected patient visited mainland China for "a few hours" on January 10.
The novel coronavirus has infected more than 20,000 people since it has been identified, and killed 427 people.
