Some 7,000 tourists – including approximately 35 Argentines – are stranded onboard a Costa cruise ship near the port of Civitavecchia, 80 kilometers from Rome, Italy, amid fears of a coronavirus outbreak. After the case was reported, specialists from Spallanzani hospital entered the ship and attended to a Chinese tourist with a feverish condition. The Costa cruise company, one of the world’s largest cruise companies, reported that the woman, 54, was put in an isolated room in the onboard infirmary along with her travelling companion.
The couple in question flew to Milan from Hong Kong on January 25, before boarding the cruise ship in Genoa.
However, according to the agency, the first checks have shown that the situation was not worrying and that the woman may only have “mild” flu-like symptoms. While waiting for the results of the tests, Italian Premier Minister Giuseppe Conte called on the passengers not to be alarmed and assured the Italian government was “attentive” to the situation.
A woman identified as Gabriela, one of the people on the cruise-ship, spoke to the local media on Thursday. They had to go to Rome for an excursion, and they were told that they were delayed because there were routine health controls. The captain warned through loudspeakers that due to the coronavirus, they were going to make take more exhaustive controls than usual.
Among the passengers, there are 35 people of Argentine nationality, according to the nation’s consul in Rome, María Lucía Dougherty de Sánchez.
According to the official, they learned through social networks that a suspicious case of a woman from Macao was being investigated. Up here we are super quiet. There are people sunbathing, going to eat, she uttered, indicating their trip at sea was continuing almost as normal.
She also explained that among her group of friends there is a doctor who gave them recommendations.
He told us how to cough, not to touch our faces with our hands, to put alcohol gel on frequently, not to touch railings. The 750 Chinese passengers on board appear to be in good health, according to local media reports.
Tags: Coronavirus, Costa, Costa Cruise, gabriela
