[Update: 70 new confirmed cases onboard the ship have been announced as of Feb. 16.]

Another 67 confirmed cases of Covid-19 have emerged from the Diamond Princess cruise ship, according to Reuters.

The update was delivered by Japan's Health Minister Katsunobu Kato on Saturday, Feb. 15.

It comes after the United States announced earlier in the day that they would be evacuating Americans from the cruise ship.

So far, 285 cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed, with Saturday's confirmation of 67 new cases the most reported in a single day since the start of the ship's quarantine, according to New York Times.

The 17-deck luxury ship is docked in Yokohama, where it was placed under quarantine early last week.

A passenger who disembarked in Hong Kong before being diagnosed with the virus had prompted the measure, which is designed to protect Japan and minimise the spread of Covid-19.

Evacuating Americans

New York Times reported that a chartered flight would arrive in Japan — where the ship has been docked and quarantined for more than a week — on Sunday to take Americans aboard the cruise ship home.

Of the approximately 3,700 passengers and crew, hundreds are believed to be American.

Evacuated Americans will be ferried from the ship to a chartered plane on Sunday.

They will be screened for symptoms before boarding a flight that will land at an airforce base in California, before taking some passengers to another airforce base in Texas.

Passengers will then have to undergo a further two weeks of quarantine.

Unable to return for an unspecified period of time

According to The New York Times, a letter sent to American passengers read:

"We understand this is frustrating and an adjustment, but these measures are consistent with the careful policies we have instituted to limit the potential spread of the disease."

Passengers who declined the evacuation were told that they would not be able to return to the United States for an "unspecified" period of time.

Top image from 煮家男人 Bob’s Your Uncle / YouTube