S. Korean passengers, crew from virus-infected cruise ship to be quarantined

SEOUL, Feb. 17 (Yonhap) -- South Korea plans to quarantine its nationals who are on board the novel coronavirus-infected cruise ship in Japan once they are evacuated back home as a precautionary measure, public health authorities here said Monday.

Vice Health Minister Kim Gang-lip said in a briefing those brought back from the Diamond Princess will be isolated for 14 days so they can be monitored for any signs of the illness.

"The quarantining of people is deemed necessary and follows similar actions taken by Seoul against South Korean nationals and immediate family members evacuated from Wuhan, China," the senior official said.

The country sent three planes to airlift people living in the central Chinese city, the epicenter of the COVID-19 virus outbreak, with all held in public facilities and quarantine after arrival.

South Korea is currently in talks with Japan to bring back South Korean passengers and crew members in lockdown at a pier in Yokohama.

Of the 3,700 people on the ship, some 10 percent have been infected with COVID-19, Tokyo said.

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