The number of confirmed cases of the 2019-nCoV coronavirus aboard Carnival's (CCL 0.55%) Diamond Princess cruise ship climbed to 61 on Friday. One day after Japan's health minister Katsunobu Kato reported that 20 out of the 102 people who had been tested had the virus, he announced that 41 additional cases had been confirmed as the total number of completed tests reached 273.
The passengers who tested positive for the virus have been removed from the ship for treatment, according to a report published by The New York Post. Roughly 3,700 people remain on board the cruise liner anchored off a port near Tokyo.
Image source: Getty Images.
How is this coronavirus affecting the travel industry?
The total number of confirmed worldwide cases of 2019-nCoV coronavirus climbed above 31,000 on Friday, and more than 600 deaths have been reported as a result of the infection. The coronavirus, which was first observed in Wuhan, China, late last year, has spread at a rapid pace and is having a significant impact on travel industries and the broader Chinese economy.
Carnival's stock price is down roughly 12% over the last month amid concerns related to the virus, and airlines and other cruise operators have made moves to curb the rate of infection, including halting travel to China and implementing tighter screening and sanitary standards. Cruise line operator Royal Caribbean has temporarily barred passport holders from China, Hong Kong, and Macau from its ships. It has also barred people who have traveled in those territories less than 15 days prior to sailing.
As new cases of the virus are being confirmed in a growing number of countries, the outbreak's impact on the travel industry could just be getting started.
