FIVE Australians are among the 61 people infected with the deadly coronavirus trapped on a cruise ship 'prison' off the coast of Japan
- Five Australians on cruise ship off Japan confirmed having coronavirus on Friday
- Another two Australians had previously tested positive for virus on the ship
- Japanese authorities have tested 273 passengers on the Diamond Princess
- Ship quarantined after guest who disembarked in Hong Kong developed virus
Five Australians are among 61 people who have tested positive for coronavirus on a cruise ship off the coast of Japan on Friday.
Japanese authorities have tested 273 people on board the Diamond Princess.
Two Australian passengers had previously tested positive for the virus bringing the total to seven.
A former passenger, who disembarked in Hong Kong last month, sparked the quarantine measures after being confirmed as having coronavirus.
'The results of the remaining 171 tests [of passengers] came out and 41 tested positive,' Japan's health minister, Katsunobu Kato, said on Friday.
'Today they will be sent to hospitals in several prefectures, and we are now preparing for that.'
'In total, out of 273 specimens, 61 tested positive,' he added.
The Diamond Princess cruise ship, with over 3,700 people quarantined onboard due to fears of the new coronavirus, is seen anchored at the Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal in Yokohama port
A woman holds a Japanese flag that reads 'shortage of medicine' on the cruise ship Diamond Princess as another 41 people tested positive for the deadly coronavirus on Friday. The huge leap comes amid concern among its 3,700 passengers that they are not being kept abreast of the full extent of the deepening crisis, after 10 cases were discovered on Wednesday and another 10 on Thursday.
There are 3,700 people on board the ship of which 223 are Australians.
The Diamond Princess is currently under a two week quarantine period.
Of those who have been confirmed to have coronavirus on board the ship on Friday, three patients are aged between 20 and 40 and the remaining 38 are between 50 and 80 years of age.
Passengers on the ship have been informed they are required to stay in their rooms for the next two weeks.
Officials have handed out thermometers so those on board can self-monitor and alert authorities if there temperature rises above the normal 37.5 degrees.
Passengers have been reportedly finding out about the additional cases being diagnosed through the media with one saying the news gave them a sense of 'dread'.
A female passenger was seen on Friday holding a Japanese flag from one of the ship's balconies reading 'medicine shortage' in Japanese.
After the first two Australian cases were confirmed aboard the ship on Wednesday, Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton said the government would provide assistance to those on board.
Japan Self-Defence Forces officers use canvas sheets to cover the walkway from the cruise ship Diamond Princess on Friday as another 41 people tested positive for the deadly flu-like virus after 20 were rushed off to hospitals on the mainland earlier this week
Health officers screen arriving passengers from China with thermal scanners at Changi International airport in Singapore on January 22, 2020 as authorities increased measures against coronavirus
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