By NewsDesk @bactiman63

Diamond Princess

In a follow-up on the situation onboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship quarantined in Yokohama Port, Japan health officials report (computer translated) an additional 88 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total to 542.

Image/DasWortgewand

681 passengers and crew were tested, of which 88 were positive and the bulk were asymptomatic.

The quarantine is set to end tomorrow.

Health Minister Katsunobu Kato 

Japan’s health minister, Katsunobu Kato urged the public Sunday to avoid crowds and “non-essential gatherings”, including notoriously packed commuter trains, to prevent the new coronavirus from spreading in the country.

Warning that the nation was “entering a new phase” in the outbreak of the virus especially with the number of community acquired cases, Kato said, “I think it’s important that we exercise Japan’s collective strength. We wish to ask the Japanese people for their cooperation and it will take everyone being united to tackle this infectious disease.”

To date, Japan has reported 66 COVID-19 cases.