HK passengers leave quarantined cruise ship

Hong Kong residents aboard the virus-stricken Diamond Princess cruise ship disembarked on Friday and were headed home.

They were seen boarding a bus at Daikoku pier late on Friday afternoon and were expected to fly out in the evening.

Immigration and quarantine officials were seen checking the temperatures of each passenger before they boarded a bus.

Japan approached the end of its first phase of disembarking passengers, with those who have tested negative allowed off the ship for the first time since Wednesday.

Over the next few days, Japan will begin disembarking those who shared rooms or were in close contact with infected patients, and further quarantine them in a designated facility.