An Irish singer says she is 'healthy and safe' in Australia after being evacuated from the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan.
Rebecca Harkin says she and her partner were musicians on board the ship where more than 600 cases of the coronavirus were detected.
Earlier this week, officials said six Irish people were travelling on the ship - two of whom had tested positive for COVID-19.
Thousands of passengers who tested negative for the virus have been evacuated after spending more than two weeks in quarantine on board the Diamond Princess.
Ms Harkin says she is now safely in Australia.
In a post on social media, Ms Harkin thanked people for their messages and prayers in recent weeks.
Update! Hello from Australia đđ»â„ïž pic.twitter.com/hqm108l3xP
â Rebecca Harkin Music (@RebeccaHarkin) February 22, 2020
She said: "I am now in Australia with my partner and we are both healthy and safe, thank god.
"We are getting so well looked after in Darwin along with all the other evacuees.
"We are both so so thankful for the amazing team here. They are so caring, friendly & understanding.
"They have been doing so much to make us comfortable. I cannot thank them enough."
She said there will now be two weeks of "sunshine & unwinding" following the crisis.
Australian media has reported evacuees from the Diamond Princess are being quarantined for two weeks at an accommodation village in Darwin.
Outbreak
Meanwhile, a 78-year-old man in Italy has become the first European to die from the coronavirus.
He was one of two people infected in the northern Veneto region.
The country has seen a spike in the number of people infected - prompting officials to order schools, restaurants and businesses to close.
There have been no confirmed cases in Ireland to date.
Health authorities in Britain have started using home-testing - where staff visit people who think they have the condition.
The coronavirus outbreak originated in Hubei province in China, and 75,000 cases have now been confirmed in mainland China.
Chinese officials have confirmed there have been 2,345 deaths from the virus.
