Around 500 to leave quarantined Japan ship Wednesday: official
Tokyo: Around 500 passengers will leave a cruise ship quarantined off Japan on Wednesday after testing negative for the new coronavirus that has infected hundreds on board, a health ministry official said on Tuesday.
"The number (who will leave Wednesday) is changing, largely because it is up to passengers (if they get off)," the official told reporters. "But it will be around 500 people."
Only those who have tested negative and have not been in close contact with a person infected with the virus will be allowed off on Wednesday and many disembarking will be Japanese passengers, the official said.
"They will go home on public transport but they will be taken by bus to places such as stations," he added.
Those who leave the ship will not face any restrictions, the official said.
"They won't be forbidden to go out."
But not all those who have tested negative will be getting off immediately because several countries have said they will evacuate their citizens from the ship, and many of those being offered repatriation are likely to stay on board until evacuation flights arrive.
"Crew members will get off after all the passengers leave the ship and it's still being arranged with the ship company," the health official said.
So far, 542 people on board the Diamond Princess have been diagnosed with the new coronavirus, despite a quarantine that began on February 5, shortly after the vessel arrived off Japan.
The quarantine was put in place after a former passenger who disembarked in Hong Kong in January tested positive.
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Kantara mimicking case: HC extends interim relief given to actor Ranveer Singh till March 9
Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka High Court on Monday extended the interim relief given to Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh till March 9, in a case related to mimicking a character from the movie, 'Kantara Chapter-1', and allegedly mocking a deity.
The actor had approached the High Court seeking the quashing of the FIR against him for mimicking Rishab Shetty's role as 'Chavunda' deity in the movie.
While mimicking, Singh had called the deity a "ghost". The actor was asked to appear before the court in person on Monday.
Appearing on behalf of the actor, his counsel Sajjan Poovayya said Singh was stuck in London and was unable to reach Bengaluru due to the conflict in West Asia.
The complainant, who is a lawyer, alleged that his religious sentiments were hurt by calling the deity a ghost. On the directions of a local Court, the police registered a case against the actor.
The High Court on February 24 granted interim relief to the actor with directions to the police not to take any coercive steps against him.
