Image copyright
EPA
About 500 passengers have begun disembarking from the virus-hit cruise ship moored off Yokohama, Japan after 14 days of quarantine.
An outbreak of the Covid-19 virus has seen 542 passengers and crew infected on the Diamond Princess- the biggest cluster outside mainland China.
Several countries had already evacuated their citizens as infections spread among passengers.
Covid-19 has now claimed 2,004 lives in China, according to the latest data.
There are now 74,185 confirmed infections in mainland China and more than 500 cases in other countries around the globe.
The passengers allowed to leave the ship will be those who have tested negative and did not show any symptoms during the quarantine period.
The disembarking process will continue over several days, according to Japanese media citing health officials.
People who have tested negative but been in cabins with infected people will have to remain on board for an additional quarantine period.
On Tuesday, Japanese officials said there were 88 new cases of infection on board the ship, bringing the total to 542 confirmed cases.
Several countries have already separately evacuated their citizens from the ship or plan to do so in the coming days.