Japanese Ambassador to Indonesia Masafumi Ishii said on Tuesday that his government was ready to support Indonesia in ensuring the well-being of dozens of its citizens aboard the Diamond Princess.

The cruise ship has been quarantined in Yokohama since Feb. 4 over fears of the spread of COVID-19.

The envoy's statement follows the confirmation Indonesian authorities received earlier that day that three of the 78 Indonesian crewmen on board had tested positive for the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.

The acute respiratory disease has killed more than 2,000 people around the world, with China recording the majority of deaths.

Ishii said he had been in discussions with Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi to guarantee the crewmen’s health and safety.

He also provided a brief insight into the official announcement regarding the three Indonesians who had tested positive for the virus.

“The safest thing I can say is that two [have been] confirmed [positive], one [is being tested] and there is some information about more [cases that] we haven't heard about yet. I haven’t received the latest information,” Ishii told journalists in Jakarta on the sidelines of a reception to commemorate the 60th birthday of Japanese Emperor Naruhito.

The celebrations in Japan were postponed because of the outbreak.

Ishii promised that Japanese authorities were providing their "best effort" in caring for all crew and passengers aboard the quarantined cruise ship.

The Diamond Princess was carrying 3,711 passengers and crew when it was placed under mandatory quarantine in Yokohama on Feb. 4, after it was discovered that a passenger who had disembarked in Hong Kong on Jan. 25 had tested positive for the virus.

As the cruise liner's quarantine period comes to an end on Wednesday, the fate of its passengers and crew remains uncertain.

All passengers are to disembark beginning Feb. 19, Japan's ministry of health has said, but Ishii noted that "the plan after that is still being considered".

"[There is an issue with] the crew, and also the authorities need to do something about the ship itself," he said. Ishii added that he could not give a definitive answer regarding their fate, other than that the ill would be immediately transported to a hospital.

When asked about the possibility of evacuating the crew, the envoy said it was up to the Indonesian authorities, noting that the key difference between evacuating passengers and evacuating the crew was that the latter were employed by the cruise company.

“[All] Indonesian citizens are crew members who have contracts with the company. Some coordination has to be made with the company as well, but we are happy to support it,” Ishii said.

Japan has come under fire for its handling of the cruise ship, as the number of confirmed cases among passengers and crew has increased almost daily.

But Ishii emphasized that Japan remained safe for visitors, especially from Indonesia, saying that the situation was under control.

Japan had recorded 542 confirmed cases aboard the Diamond Princess on Wednesday morning, according to real-time data from the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at John Hopkins University.

The CSSE online dashboard also showed a global death toll of 2,009.

Indonesia has not recorded any confirmed cases, while the few suspected cases have tested negative so far. Elsewhere, one Indonesian citizen has contracted the virus in Singapore but recovered on Wednesday, the Indonesian Embassy in Singapore confirmed. (dis/tjs)

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