Head of the Crisis Management Center at the Consular Services Department of Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) Maksym Kovalenko has said almost all Ukrainians on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship placed in quarantine off Yokohama port near Tokyo, Japan, over the China novel coronavirus are not going to be evacuated to Ukraine.
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In total, there were 25 citizens of Ukraine on board the ship, two of them are now in hospital. All of them are crew members, according to Hromadske Radio.
"Their obligations are determined by the contract, their desire is also taken into account. So far, 24 of them have said they are not going to return to Ukraine. We're establishing contact with another Ukrainian," the official said.
Ukraine is ready if they change their opinion, Kovalenko added. In this case, necessary measures will be taken. Yet, it is the citizens and ship owners who will take the final decision regarding their future.
As UNIAN reported earlier, 634 cases of COVID-19 virus were confirmed on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship. Four passengers died.
Two Ukrainians, a man and a woman who are crew members, also got infected with the coronavirus. Since February 19, passengers began to leave the liner after a two-week quarantine.
