The number of confirmed coronavirus cases among the crew members of an Italian cruise ship docked in the city of Nagasaki, southwestern Japan, has totaled 148, the Nagasaki prefectural government said Saturday.

The prefectural government newly found that 57 crew members of the Costa Atlantica cruise ship have been infected. They add to the previously confirmed 91 cases.

The cruise ship had 623 crew members including a Japanese interpreter on board. All of them have gone through virus tests, and one showing severe symptoms has been sent to a hospital in the city.

The remaining infected crew members are being isolated from each other inside the ship, according to prefectural government officials.

Nagasaki Prefecture will try to identify transmission routes and investigate whether any crew member has infected citizens outside the ship.

The prefecture will discuss with the central government to decide when the ship should leave the city.

The Japanese branch of the operator of the cruise ship said it will soon send home non-Japanese crew members who have tested negative. The company's two other vessels docked in Nagasaki are set to leave Japan.

JIJI Press