AKIPRESS.COM - Hundreds of people who have been stuck on board a coronavirus-hit cruise ship for two weeks are being allowed to disembark, Sky News reports.

The controversial quarantine on the Diamond Princess has now ended - and over the past fortnight, more than 540 passengers and crew have fallen ill with COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.

About 500 people are going to be allowed to leave the ship on Wednesday, and about 2,000 others will be gradually evacuated between now and Friday.

The ship is currently moored off the coast of Yokohama in Japan, and the Foreign Office is hopeful that affected Britons will be able to get a flight back to the UK later this week.

Passengers who have tested negative for the coronavirus and have no symptoms have had to get their body temperature checked before they are allowed to disembark. 

The cruise ship was put in quarantine in Japan's port of Yokohama Feb 3 after a man who disembarked in Hong Kong was found to have the virus.