China’s neighbours are rushing to contain the spread of the new coronavirus

THE DIAMOND PRINCESS, an 18-deck cruise ship, has been marooned in the waters off Yokohama, a port city near Tokyo, since February 3rd. Japanese officials in protective suits have brought fresh supplies on board. No passengers are permitted to disembark. Some 3,700 holidaymakers and crew have been quarantined since an 80-year-old passenger, who left the ship in Hong Kong, tested positive for the new coronavirus sweeping China. Since then, 218 of those on board have been infected. Any infection spreads rapidly on such vessels so passengers are mostly confined to their cabins. Some are relying on sudoku puzzles delivered to their rooms by staff for entertainment. Others have had wine delivered by drone. All are anxiously counting the days until February 19th, when their two weeks of isolation should end.

Most confirmed infections of covid-19, as the World Health Organisation has just renamed the disease, are in China. But the disease is now spreading throughout Asia. Singapore confirmed its first infection on January 23rd. It has since detected 49 more. The first 14 identified had all travelled there from Wuhan, the Chinese city where the outbreak began. The first cases of local transmission, traced to a traditional medicine shop frequented by Chinese tourists, were announced on February 4th.