A cruise ship carrying 251 Canadians has been quarantined off the coast of Japan following a confirmed outbreak of the new coronavirus.
A statement from Princess Cruises said 10 people have tested positive for the virus, but none are Canadian.
The cruise line confirmed the Japanese Ministry of Health has completed the first phase of screening the 2,666 guests and 1,045 crew onboard the ship.
Covered from head-to-knee by large, white sheets, the positive cases were led by gloved and masked officials onto Coast Guard vessels, to be taken ashore and transported to local hospitals.
The 10 infected cases include two Australians, three Japanese, three people from Hong Kong, and one from the U-S, as well as a Filipino crewmember, the statement said.
The ship will remain under quarantine for 14 days in Yokohama, it said.
Princess Cruises will continue to fully co-operate with and follow the instructions of global medical authorities and the Japanese government, it said.
It will also be cancelling the next two Diamond Princess cruises departing Yokohama on Feb. 4 and 12, it said.
The viral outbreak that began in China has so far infected more than 24,500 people globally with 490 deaths reported in the Hubei province, the epicentre of the disease, and one in Hong Kong.
More than 1,800 people on another cruise ship were being screened in Hong Kong after three passengers on a previous voyage were diagnosed with the virus.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 5, 2020.
—With files from The Associated Press