Cruise ship Britons to be flown home soon

Britons on a coronavirusstricken ship in Japan will be evacuated “as soon as possible”, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has announced.

“We are planning an evacuation flight from

Tokyo to the UK as soon as possible for Britons who are on the Diamond Princess,” the FCO spokesman said.

“We hope the flight will be later this week, subject to permissions from the Japanese authorities.”

Pressure has been mounting on the UK Government to evacuate

Britons in light of the cramped conditions on board and the fact the number diagnosed with the virus on the ship continues to rise.

The FCO also announced some passengers had been allowed to leave the ship.

The 14-day quarantine period is at an end for passengers who have been kept in isolation on the ship, which is docked near Yokohama.

Japan’s health minister said all passengers still on board had been tested and had samples taken for the coronavirus illness.

Seventy-four of the ship’s passengers are British.