Thousands of people trapped on a cruise ship in Japan, including 200 Australians, have been released, as the Japanese Government deems two-week quarantine period onboard to be sufficient against coronavirus infection. Passengers were released from the Diamond Princess today and moved onto Japan’s national train network. About 200 Australians aboard the Diamond Princess have their bag packed and are due to fly out tonight for Australian soil.

About 500 people who tested negative and who are not showing any symptoms are expected to disembark on Wednesday, with more leaving in coming days. The ship was carrying 3,700 people in total. The passengers on the Diamond Princess come from more than 50 countries. Fifteen Australian passengers have declined the offer to be flown home. Many of them are relatives of the 24 Aussies on the ship that tested positive for the virus and are being treated in Japan.