AFP

The Grand Princess has 21 cases of coronavirus on board

Authorities in the US state of California are preparing to receive passengers aboard a virus-hit cruise liner held off San Francisco.

Nineteen crew members and two passengers on the Grand Princess have tested positive for Covid-19.

The vessel, which is carrying about 3,500 people from 54 countries, has docked in Oakland after five days stuck offshore.

The US has reported more than 607 coronavirus cases and 24 deaths.

The cruise passengers will be quarantined in a number of facilities across the US.

Cases of the virus have been recorded in 34 states plus Washington DC.

The number of infections worldwide is more than 109,000, with about 3,800 deaths.

Italy now has the highest number of confirmed infections outside China, where the outbreak originated in December. It has confirmed 7,375 cases and overtaken South Korea, where the total number is 7,313.

Some 16 million people - a quarter of Italy's population - are under strict quarantine measures.