KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 18 — The Health Ministry has confirmed today that two Malaysians sailing on board the Diamond Princess cruise liner have been infected by the Covid-19 coronavirus.

In a post on his official Facebook page, Health Ministry director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the duo are currently being looked after by Japanese authorities.

"The quarantined cruise ship Diamond Princess, is the largest cluster of cases outside China with more than 400 people tested positive.

"Two Malaysians on Diamond Princess cruise were confirmed to be infected with Covid-19 and two more pending awaiting anxiously for their results. Both infected patients are being isolated and managed in Japan,” he said in the post.

Yesterday, Japan’s Health, Labour and Welfare Ministry revealed that a total of 454 passengers on board the Diamond Princess have been tested positive for the coronavirus.

The ship which was on a 16-day cruise including stops in Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Vietnam had made port in Yokohama Bay, Japan have been quarantined by the authorities there due to the widespread infection on the luxury liner.

On February 16, the ministry had tested 1,219 people out of the 3,700 passengers and crews from more than 50 countries.

A total of 2,666 passengers, including those staying in small, windowless rooms, were asked to stay inside their compartments to prevent transmission during the quarantine period.