Coronavirus: Another 70 cases of Covid-19 confirmed aboard Diamond Princess cruise ship

Medical workers in protective suits take an infected passenger from the Diamond Princess cruise ship. Photo / Kyodo News via AP

Another 70 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship, bringing the cruise's total cases to 355.

Japan's Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare announced the development this morning, according to Japanese public broadcaster NHK.

There are more than 3,600 people on board the ship, which has been docked in Yokohama in Japan since February 4.

The quarantined ship is the site of the largest outbreak of the virus, officially named Covid-19, outside of China.

Medical workers in protective suits take an infected passenger from the Diamond Princess cruise ship. Photo / Kyodo News via AP

The US government is preparing to evacuate US citizens from the ship todayand fly them home on a chartered aircraft. However those US citizens who have tested positive for Covid-19 will not be able to leave.

Worldwide there have been more than 69,000 confirmed cases, and 1,669 deaths from Covid-19 - the vast majority in China.