The U.S. State Department will evacuate American citizens and their families aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship that has been quarantined in a Japanese port for nearly two weeks, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.

A security guard stands near the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship in Yokohama, near Tokyo, February 13, 2020. (Photo: AP)

According to the report, the U.S. government will send two airplanes to remove about 380 Americans from the novel coronavirus-hit cruise ship.

The aircraft to evacuate Americans would arrive in Japan on Sunday, said the report.

The ship has been kept in quarantine off the port of Yokohama after a passenger on board from Hong Kong was found to be infected with the pneumonia-causing virus.