The World Health Organization will cooperate with Japanese authorities for an orderly disembarkation of passengers and crew from a cruise ship quarantined off Japan to contain the new coronavirus, a WHO official said Friday.

Michael Ryan, executive director of a program overseeing emergency responses, said at a news conference in Geneva that the WHO will assist the Japanese government in managing the mass infections of people aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship, moored at the port of Yokohama.

"At the moment, every time a new case arises, the quarantine extends," he said. "So we need to find a way to break that vicious cycle."

Ryan also said it is important to give those aboard the ship mental care, as the quarantine is believed to be a psychological burden on them in addition to being a physical one.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also attended the news conference, where he called on people to refrain from stocking up on face masks and other personal protective equipment.

"Demand is up to 100 times higher than normal and prices are up to 20 times higher," he said.

Tedros added that the surge in demand for such goods has led to insufficient supplies for medical staff.

JIJI Press