British citizens being held on coronavirus-hit ship Diamond Princess could be flown home, the Foreign and Commonwealth (FCO) office has said.

The office is “working to organise” the evacuations of the 74 Britons on board.

In a statement, it said: “Given the conditions on board, we are working to organise a flight back to the UK for British nationals on the Diamond Princess as soon as possible. Our staff is contacting British nationals on board to make the necessary arrangements. We urge all those who have not yet responded to get in touch immediately.”

Sir Richard Branson said Virgin Atlantic was “in discussions” with the government over whether he could help those stranded.

A Number 10 spokesman said: “We sympathise with all those caught up in this extremely difficult situation. The Foreign Office is in contact with all British people on the Diamond Princess, including to establish interest in a possible repatriation flight.

“We are urgently considering all options to guarantee the health and safety of those on board.”

Today (18 February) David and Sally Abel, a British couple on board the ship, have confirmed that they tested positive for the virus. The pair is among 88 people who have been confirmed today to have the virus, taking the total on board the ship to 542.

The couple will now be taken into a further quarantine on the mainland just a day before the quarantine on Diamond Princess was due to end.

Four other Britons who tested positive for coronavirus are currently in hospital in Japan, according to the latest official figures.

The UK Government has block-booked the Holiday Inn Heathrow Ariel, which could be used to house anyone arriving into the UK who is thought to be at risk of potentially spreading the Covid-19 virus, but who has nowhere else to go to self-isolate. This could include people arriving from some parts of Asia, including China.

People will also be able to stay at the hotel while their coronavirus tests are carried out and the results are processed. Anyone with the virus who needs treatment will still be sent to a specialist infectious disease centre run by NHS hospitals.

Nine people in the UK have tested positive for Covid-19, with eight of those patients now discharged from hospital. Meanwhile, the death toll in mainland China rose by 105 to 1,770, in figures announced early on Monday morning.

The number of people infected globally stands at 68,500, according to the country’s National Health Commission.

For the latest information and updates on coronavirus, visit the FOC website.