Two more Japan officials aboard cruise ship contract Covid-19

A quarantine officer in his 50s and a health ministry official in his 40s who were both dispatched separately to the vessel earlier this month have tested positive and are in hospital. - AFP

TOKYO (AFP): Two more officials sent to a cruise ship quarantined off Japan to help with on-board efforts to contain the deadly coronavirus have contracted the illness themselves, authorities said Monday (Feb 24).

The announcement came as experts warned the next one to three weeks would be "crucial" to preventing widespread infections and as fears deepen that the isolation of the virus-stricken Diamond Princess has been ineffective.