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Coronavirus: Evacuation flight carrying Britons from quarantined cruise ship takes off from Japan

A repatriation flight carrying 32 British and European passengers evacuated from the Diamond Princess cruise ship has taken off from Japan.

The Foreign Office said the evacuation flight had British and government and medical staff on board, and was expected to arrive in the UK on Saturday morning.

The passengers spent more than two weeks trapped on the coronavirus-stricken ship off the coast of Japan.

The evacuation plane is due to land at Boscombe Down military base, near Salisbury in Wiltshire. The passengers will then be taken to Arrowe Park Hospital in Wirral for 14 days of quarantine.

The Foreign Office said: “We can confirm the evacuation flight from Japan has now departed with 32 British and European passengers on board, as well as British government and medical staff. It is due to arrive in the UK on Saturday morning.”

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