Canada said 32 of its citizens aboard the stricken Diamond Princess have now tested positive for the new coronavirus, according to a report by the Toronto Star.
The report said that Global Affairs Canada had confirmed that 32 out of 256 Canadians on the ship had tested positive. The report said that fifteen Canadians on board the ship had previously tested positive for the COVID-19 virus.
Canadian passengers are set to be evacuated from the virus-hit boat soon, passengers will be screened before boarding the evacuation aircraft, and those who exhibit symptoms of COVID-19 will be transferred to the Japanese health care system, the report said, citing the Japanese government.
Japan said earlier Tuesday that it expected to remove all passengers from the cruise liner by Friday, and South Korea said it would evacuate its citizens and fly them back to Seoul. The ship remains docked at the port of Yokohama.
The U.K. government also said it was "working to organize" a flight home for British nationals aboard the ship.
"Given the conditions on board, we are working to organize a flight back to the U.K. for British nationals on the Diamond Princess as soon as possible," a Foreign Office statement said. "Our staff are contacting British nationals on board to make the necessary arrangements. We urge all those who have not yet responded to get in touch immediately."