YOKOHAMA, JP. (THECOUNT) — Two elderly cruise ship passengers that were on board Princess Cruises “Diamond Princess,” have died after contracting the Coronavirus or Covid-19, according to Japan’s health ministry, the Associated Press has confirmed.

Both patients had been hospitalized with coronavirus. A health ministry official only confirmed that they had been previously been hospitalized in serious condition and had existing chronic diseases. The official spoke anonymously, citing office protocol.

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Roughly 600 passengers left the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Yokohama, Japan, on Wednesday, as a controversial shipwide coronavirus quarantine finally began to wind down.

The cruise ship had been quariented in the Japanese port of Yokohama.

Japanese newspaper Mainichi Shimbun added that these newly diagnosed passengers will be taken to medical facilities in Tokyo and nearby prefectures, citing the health ministry, reports TheEpochTimes.

Diamond Princess is a cruise ship owned and operated by Princess Cruises. She began operation in March 2004 and primarily cruises in Asia during the summer and Australia in the winter season. She is a subclassed Grand-class ship, which is also known as a Gem-class ship. Diamond Princess and her sister ship, Sapphire Princess, are the widest subclass of Grand-class ships, as they have a 37.5 m (123 ft 0 in) beam while all other Grand-class ships have a beam of 36 m (118 ft 1 in). Diamond Princess and Sapphire Princess were both built in Nagasaki, Japan by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.

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Geo quick facts: Yokohama, a Japanese city south of Tokyo, was one of the first Japanese ports opened to foreign trade, in 1859. It contains a large Chinatown with hundreds of Chinese restaurants and shops. It’s also known for Sankei-en Garden, a botanical park containing preserved Japanese residences from different eras, and the seaside Minato Mirai district, site of the 296m Landmark Tower – wikipedia.