Fourth Death Occurs on Japanese Cruise Ship Due to COVID-19 Infection

80s Male Transferred to Medical Facility and Dies During Treatment
History of Diabetes... Cause of Death Pneumonia
691 Infections Confirmed Among Cruise Ship Passengers

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Minwoo Lee] The fourth death has occurred among passengers aboard the cruise ship docked in Japan, where many cases of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) have been reported.

According to local media such as NHK on the 25th, Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare announced that an elderly man in his 80s who had stayed on the Diamond Princess docked at Yokohama Port in Japan and was infected with COVID-19 died while receiving treatment after being transferred to a medical institution.

The man developed symptoms while on the cruise ship and was transferred to a medical institution on the 9th; the following day, his COVID-19 infection was confirmed. He had diabetes, and the cause of death was reported as pneumonia.

With this, the number of deaths among passengers on the cruise ship since the spread of COVID-19 has increased to four. Among them, three have been confirmed to be infected with COVID-19. Previously, on the 20th, an elderly male and female passenger in their 80s who were transferred from the cruise ship to a hospital died. On the 23rd, another man in his 80s died, but the Japanese government did not disclose whether he was infected, respecting the wishes of the bereaved family.

Currently, a total of 691 passengers on this cruise ship have been confirmed to be infected with COVID-19. According to Kyodo News, Kato Katsunobu, Japan's Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare, stated at the House of Representatives Budget Committee subcommittee meeting that 28 people who disembarked from the Diamond Princess showed symptoms such as fever. Among those tested for the virus, one tested positive and three tested negative.