Tourist on board coronavirus cruise ship ‘Diamond Princess’ becomes 1st British death from outbreak

A British man who was on board the quarantined cruise ship ‘Diamond Princess’ has died in Japan. It’s the first British death from the illness which is still spreading across the globe.

Five other passengers from the vessel have already died from the novel coronavirus, which can cause severe respiratory problems, but this was the first death of a foreigner who was on board the cruise ship.

The ship was quarantined with everyone on board by Japanese health authorities earlier this month when a passenger tested positive for the illness. Over 700 other passengers have since been confirmed to have the coronavirus, a small number of whom have already recovered from the illness. 

Responding to the death, a spokesperson for the UK Foreign Office said: "We are supporting the family of a British man who has died in Japan and are in contact with local authorities. Our sympathies and thoughts are with his family at this difficult time."

Earlier on Thursday, Wales announced its first confirmed case of coronavirus, while England’s chief medical officer said two more patients in the country had tested positive, bringing the total number of cases in the UK to 19. 

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has called an emergency Cobra meeting of ministers on Monday to discuss the outbreak, which was first reported in Wuhan, China late last year. Over 80,000 cases have been confirmed worldwide, with infections confirmed in almost 50 countries. 

Coronavirus has a mortality rate of around two percent in Hubei Province – the epicenter of the outbreak – and a lower level elsewhere. The illness prompted mass quarantine measures in China, a number of international travel restrictions, and some serious stock market jitters.

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