Everyone on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship has finally disembarked, said Japan's Health and Labor Minister Katsunobu Kato at a press conference on Sunday.

"Including the captain, all crew members disembarked," Katsunobu Kato said.

Around 130 people – including the captain and 98 health ministry officials who were working aboard – tested negative for the virus as they left the vessel, he said.

They will spend 14 days at government-designated dormitories before being allowed to leave Japan, while the vessel will be disinfected before sailing again. At least six people who were hospitalized after being taken off the ship have died, including a British male passenger, the health ministry said. 

The Diamond Princess, with over 3,700 passengers and crew members on board, set off on January 20 for a two-week voyage, but was later quarantined in the Japanese port of Yokohama due to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus. 

The quarantine has been heavily criticized after 705 people on board tested positive for the virus.

As of 22:00 local time on Sunday, 961 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus were reported, including the infected people on the cruise ship and 14 people who had returned to Japan via government-chartered planes. 

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(With input from AFP)