Coronavirus: Govt confirms Diamond Princess evacuation flight

Foreign secretary Dominic Raab confirmed on Thursday (20 February) an “evacuation flight” would depart Tokyo on Friday (21 February). It is understood there are more than 70 British guests onboard the ship.

David and Sally Abel though, who have become the faces of the many Britons onboard Diamond Princess with their frequent video updates, are not expected to return to the UK on Friday after contracting the Covid-19 coronavirus.

According to the BBC, only those showing no signs of illness following their two-week quarantine onboard Diamond Princess will be allowed to travel. Those returning on the government flight will be quarantined again upon their return.

The ship was placed in quarantine on 5 February after a guest, who disembarked in Hong Kong, tested positive for the infection.

More than 600 people onboard have now contracted the illness. Diamond Princess set off from Yokohama in Japan with 2,666 guests and 1,045 crew onboard before it was quarantined.