14 U.S. evacuees from Japanese ship test positive for coronavirus

U.S. passengers evacuated from quarantined cruise ship the Diamond Princess and officials wait for the takeoff of a Kalitta Air airplane bound for the U.S., at Haneda Airport in Tokyo, February 17, 2020. /AP Photo

14 U.S. evacuees from Diamond Princess cruise ship test positive for coronavirus

14 of the 300 U.S. citizens evacuated from the Diamond Princess cruise ship quarantined in Japan tested positive for the novel coronavirus, the U.S. State Department said in a statement on Monday.

"These individuals were moved in the most expeditious and safe manner to a specialized containment area on the evacuation aircraft to isolate them in accordance with standard protocols," read the statement.

A charter flight carrying the U.S. passengers from Japan landed at a California air force base, starting the clock on a quarantine period at the U.S. military facility, according to AP.

The cruise ship has been quarantined since arriving in Yokohama on February 3, after a man who disembarked in Hong Kong traveled back to Japan and got diagnosed with the virus. It had some 3,700 passengers and crew on board.