Japanese officials have confirmed 99 more people infected by the new virus aboard the quarantined cruise ship Diamond Princess, bringing the total to 454, the Health Ministry said Monday. The ministry said it now has tested 1,723 people. The ship, docked in Yokohama, had about 3,700 passengers and crew.

The 14-day quarantine for those on the ship was due to end Wednesday.

Canadians

Outside China, the ship has had the largest number of cases of the COVID-19 illness caused by the virus that emerged in China late last year.

The government of Canada announced late Saturday, that it will evacuate Canadians from the quarantined cruise ship, citing the “extraordinary circumstances” on board.

Ottawa said it has chartered a plane to bring home many of the 255 Canadians. So far 15 Canadians have been infected.

“In light of the extraordinary circumstances facing our citizens on the Diamond Princess, we are taking action to return Canadians home from Japan, while ensuring that appropriate measures are in place to prevent and limit the spread of the novel coronavirus,” Foreign Affairs Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said in a written statement.

The timing of the chartered plane had yet to be announced.

Global Affairs said the passengers would be screened before boarding the plane, and those who exhibit symptoms of COVID-19 will be transferred to the Japanese health-care system.

Those who make it onto the plane will be brought to Canadian Forces Base Trenton in southern Ontario, the government said. From there, they’ll be assessed and taken to the NAV Canada Training Institute in Cornwall, Ont., to undergo another 14-day quarantine.

The would-be evacuees had mixed reactions immediately after learning the news, with some saying the quarantine added a sour note to the otherwise sweet development.

Meanwhile, there are about 400 Canadians already under quarantine at Canadian Forces Base Trenton. They were repatriated by Canada from the Chinese province of Hubei, which includes the city of Wuhan, considered as the epicentre of the outbreak.

Americans

Two chartered planes flew 340 Americans who were aboard the vessel out of Japan late Sunday. About 380 Americans had been on the ship. The State Department announced later that 14 of the evacuees were confirmed to have the virus in tests given before they boarded the planes.

They were taken to the US because they did not have symptoms and were being isolated from other passengers on the planes, it said.

Australia, Hong Kong and Italy were planning similar flights for their citizens.