A couple wearing protective facemasks hold hands while walking in a park in Hong Kong on Feb 22, 2020. (VIVEK PRAKASH / AFP)

HONG KONG – Four new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus pneumonia on Sunday brought the total in the city to 74.

Meanwhile, four more passengers of the coronavirus-stricken Diamond Princess cruise ship preliminarily tested positive for the novel coronavirus pneumonia after returning to Hong Kong, according to local media.

The four passengers are quarantined at Chun Yeung Estate in Fo Tan since flying back from Japan by government-chartered flights.

Hong Kong government had chartered three flights to bring back home 193 residents from the cruise ship. All of the evacuees were placed under a 14-days quarantine at Chun Yeung Estate.

The third chartered flight brought back home five passengers of Diamond Princess, which was moored in Japan's Yokohama, Sunday morning.

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According to the government, the 71st confirmed patient in Hong Kong, a 68-year-old man, was among the over 200 Hong Kong passengers evacuated from the Diamond Princess. He developed a fever after flying back to the city on a government-chartered flight.

Another two patients had both visited the Fook Wai Ching She, a Buddhist temple in North Point. A 96-year-old woman was confirmed infected with the coronavirus on Saturday. She had visited the same temple multiple times in January and February.

An 80-year-old woman, patient of the 73th case, lives at Hing Wah Estate in Chai Wan. She developed a sore throat on Feb 8 and was taken to hospital on Saturday. The 76-year-old patient of the 74th case lives in Maylun building on Shu Kuk Street where the temple is located. 

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Chuang Shuk-kwan, head of the Communicable Disease Branch of the Centre for Health Protection, said 30 residents who had been to the temple have called the center. Five of them indicated that they did not feel well and were sent to hospitals while about 10 others were placed under quarantine. 

Contact the writer at zhaoruinan@chinadaily.com.cn