Four passengers from the Diamond Princess cruise ship who were flown to England have tested positive for coronavirus, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the UK to 13.
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The four have been transferred to specialist infection centres.
They had been among a group of 30 British nationals and two Irish citizens placed in quarantine in the country's northwest on Saturday.
England's chief medical officer said the virus was passed on in the Diamond Princess cruise ship, which had been held for more than two weeks off the coast of Japan.
"Four further patients in England have tested positive for Covid-19, bringing the total number of cases in the UK to 13," Professor Chris Whitty said on Sunday.
The Department of Health said a "full infectious disease risk assessment" was done before Saturday's repatriation flight and that no one who boarded the plane had displayed any symptoms of the virus.
Any more passengers who test positive will immediately be taken into specialist care, the department said.
It is understood some British nationals who are part of the Diamond Princess crew opted to remain on the ship.
Almost one-fifth of the 3711 passengers originally on board the cruise liner have been infected.
Japan's health ministry announced on Sunday that a Japanese man in his 80s from the cruise who was taken to hospital after testing positive for the virus has died.
Australian Associated Press