Coronavirus death toll climbs to 870

Australian Vera Koslova-Fu says conditions onboard  Carnival's Diamond Princess have become increasingly emotional.

Australian Vera Koslova-Fu says conditions onboard Carnival's Diamond Princess have become increasingly emotional. Source: SBS News/AAP

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Thousands of people stranded aboard a cruise ship in Hong Kong for five days have been allowed to disembark after tests for coronavirus came back negative. The outbreak has now killed more than 870 people, exceeding the death toll from the 2003 SARS epidemic.


After being quarantined for six days amid fears of coronavirus, some 3,600 passengers and crew members stuck on a cruise ship docked in Hong Kong have been freed. The World Dream cruise ship was put in quarantine last week, after it emerged that three passengers had contracted the virus on a previous voyage.

It was feared staff onboard that cruise could have been infected and passed it on to the new passengers. But Hong Kong's Chief Port Health Officer Leng Yiu-Hong says after all crew members tested negative, all on board were allowed to disembark.

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