TOKYO – Japanese officials are investigating an outbreak of the coronavirus among crew members of a cruise ship in Nagasaki, which has puzzled authorities because the southern port city has a relatively low number of infections and the vessel has been docked for almost two months.
The outbreak on the Italian-operated Costa Atlantica surfaced Tuesday when officials from Nagasaki and Mitsubishi Heavy Industry, which is in charge of repairs and maintenance on the ship, announced that a crew member developed a cough and fever.
By Thursday, 47 crew have tested positive for the virus, a Nagasaki prefectural official Hironori Hashiguchi said. The ship has 623 crew, including a Japanese translator, and no passengers.