Buses with passengers from cruise ship leave port

Buses carrying passengers from the formerly quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship left a port in Yokohama on Thursday, escorted by Japan's Self-Defence Forces and police.

The ship started letting passengers who tested negative for the virus off the ship on Wednesday when the government-set 14-day quarantine ended.

Japan said it would disembark around 500 passengers who tested negative for the virus per day through Friday.

Test results are still pending for some people on board.

The 621 cases of the new virus confirmed among the ship's original 3,711 passengers constitute the highest number anywhere outside China.

In total, Japan has confirmed more 700 confirmed cases, including the country's first death unrelated to the ship.