Around 500 Filipinos Quarantined on Cruise Ship in Japan to Return to the Philippines

A bus carrying passengers from the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship leaves a port in Yokohama, near Tokyo on Feb. 20, 2020. Eugene Hoshiko/AP Photo

Approximately 500 Filipinos will fly back to the Philippines from the quarantined cruise ship in Japan, officials told reporters on Thursday.

The Diamond Princess, docked in Yokohama, was largely staffed by Filipinos. In addition to the 531 crew members on board, seven passengers are citizens from the Philippines. Forty-four Filipinos on the ship have tested positive for the new coronavirus, or COVID-19.