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Cruise Passengers Are Held at Italian Port Over Coronavirus Fears Cruise Passengers Are Held at Italian Port in False Alarm Over Coronavirus
(about 5 hours later)
CIVITAVECCHIA, Italy — Thousands of passengers aboard an Italian cruise ship were being blocked from disembarking in a port town north of Rome on Thursday over fears that a passenger might have contracted the coronavirus that has sickened more than 7,700 people in mainland China and killed at least 170. CIVITAVECCHIA, Italy — Thousands of passengers stuck on a towering cruise ship. Doctors racing to the scene. Confusion and fear spreading.
A Chinese national aboard the ship, the Costa Smeralda, came down with a fever and was experiencing respiratory problems The cruise company said in a statement that 5,023 passengers and 1,628 crew were aboard the ship. A statement from the cruise company confirmed that a “sanitary protocol” had been put in place for one female passenger. For more than 12 hours on Thursday, the travelers aboard a ship docked north of Rome were ensnared in what was an ultimately false alarm after a Chinese national came down with a fever.
The precaution comes amid international fears that the outbreak of the coronavirus — first detected in a seafood and poultry market in Wuhan, China, last month — will become a global epidemic. Although most of the thousands who have contracted it are in mainland China, at least 68 cases have been reported outside the country. The episode prompted by a single sick passenger illustrates the fear that is spreading around the world along with the outbreak of the coronavirus, which has sickened more than 7,700 people in mainland China and killed at least 170.
The ship docked in the port town, Civitavecchia, on Thursday around 8 a.m. after arriving from the Spanish port of Palma de Majorca. It was part of the way through a seven-day cruise in the Western Mediterranean, which included stops in Italy, France and Spain. More than 1,143 guests had planned to end their cruise on Thursday at the port but were prevented from disembarking. For much of the day, Italy was gripped by fears that the coronavirus had arrived in the country. At least 68 cases have been reported outside mainland China, but there had been not yet been any confirmed cases in Italy — though that changed later Thursday, when the government announced the first two cases, which were unrelated to the ship.
Others had planned to remain onboard for additional days and the ship was scheduled to depart from Civitavecchia on Thursday evening for La Spezia, Italy. Giuseppe Ippolito, scientific director of the Spallanzani Hospital, which specializes in infectious diseases, said late Thursday that the two confirmed coronavirus cases, two Chinese tourists visiting Rome, were being held in isolation at the hospital.
The ill passenger on the Costa Smeralda was being held in isolation in a hospital ward aboard the ship, as was her husband, who did not appear to have any symptoms, according to a Coast Guard official. Both were tested by infectious disease experts from Spallanzani Hospital in Rome, Italian officials said. “They were put in isolation as soon as the diagnosis was verified,” he said at a late night news conference with Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte and Health Minister Roberto Speranza.
“The guest, a 54-year-old lady of Chinese nationality, is currently put on isolation on the onboard hospital since last night together with her travel mate, in line with health protocols,” the cruise line, Costa Costiera, said in a statement. “As soon as the suspected case was detected, the medical team on board immediately activated all the relevant health procedures to promptly isolate and manage the clinical condition.” The officials offered reassurances that they would investigate the movements of the two Chinese tourists and attempt to identify those they may have been in contact with, “to absolutely avoid any further risks,” the prime minister said.
Costa Costiera is managed by Carnival Cruise lines, which later noted that the woman is from Macau. “The health authority has been immediately notified and is now on board to conduct all the pertinent measure,” the cruise line said. “It is our utmost priority to ensure the health and safety of passengers and crew.” Mr. Conte said that Italy had blocked all flights to and from China. “As far as I know we are the first country in Europe to adopt such a precautionary measure,” he said.
The scare on the cruise ship began Thursday morning after Italian health officials stopped passengers from leaving the ship, the Costa Smeralda, when it landed in the port town of Civitavecchia on the western Italian coast.
The ship, carrying 5,023 passengers and 1,628 crew, was part of the way through a seven-day cruise, with stops in Italy, France and Spain. It left the Spanish port of Palma de Majorca and arrived at 8 a.m. Thursday in Civitavecchia. More than 1,143 guests had planned to end their cruise on Thursday, but were prevented from disembarking.
Later Thursday, a health ministry task force that Italy instituted to counter the spreading virus announced that tests on the passengers for the coronavirus were negative. Italian maritime health authorities said that passengers were allowed to disembark.
Costa Cruises said in a statement Thursday night that passengers who wished to disembark from the ship could, while passengers who wished to remain onboard would be accommodated and could begin their return home Friday. The ship will remain docked in Civitavecchia until Friday evening, skipping the port of La Spezia.
The company apologized for the inconvenience but said they had acted to “ensure maximum safety for all our guests, crew and the community as a whole.”
Onboard the Costa Smeralda, reactions swung wildly.
Maria Cartagena, a passenger on the ship, said that the situation on board “was tranquil.”Maria Cartagena, a passenger on the ship, said that the situation on board “was tranquil.”
“They are doing checks on 2 Chinese passengers and for now (logical) they don’t tell us anything else,” she wrote on Twitter. “Kind of stressful.”“They are doing checks on 2 Chinese passengers and for now (logical) they don’t tell us anything else,” she wrote on Twitter. “Kind of stressful.”
Other passengers took to social media to vent concerns and frustrations and share photographs from onboard the ship.Other passengers took to social media to vent concerns and frustrations and share photographs from onboard the ship.
Buses had been parked at the port since 7 a.m. waiting to pick up the disembarking passengers from the ship. One of the bus drivers, Andrea Riccobello, 43, didn’t like being there. The all-clear came after controls were carried out by experts from the Spallanzani hospital. It is part of a coronavirus task force, which includes health, transportation and civil protection agency officials, which the health ministry set up earlier this month for just such an event.
“I am really scared that they will allow people to come down before checking them,” he said of the passengers as dusk fell. “We carry 50 people at the time — there is a high chance of contagion.” In Civitavecchia, some passengers waiting to board the Costa Smeralda were scared about what awaited them.
At the port, people planning to board the cruise ship to continue on with the journey gathered on long lines in a holding area, constantly checking their phones for news. Most of them had already checked their luggage onto the ship, and had been waiting to board for hours. Graziana Iuso, 39, from the southern Italian town of Torremaggiore, said she was nervous.
Some were scared about what awaited them onboard and expressed increased anxiety about the virus, though it was unclear if or when they would be able to join the journey. “I don’t want to get on that boat,” she said as she waited to board. “A couple of hours is not enough to do checkups.”
Graziana Iuso, 39, from the southern Italian town of Torremaggiore, said she was nervous after her son came down with a fever. Another woman who was set to board the ship for a vacation, Antonella Libardo, the owner of a pizzeria in Puglia, said she trusted the company and would board without hesitation if the authorities gave passengers the green light
“I don’t want to get on that boat,” she said as she waited to board. “A couple of hours is not enough to do check ups.”
She also said that the high number of Chinese tourists in the country made her uneasy that the virus would come to Italy.
Another woman who was set to board the ship for a vacation, Antonella Libardo, the owner of a pizzeria in Puglia, said she trusted the company and would board without hesitation if the authorities gave passengers the green light.
“This virus thing is becoming a psychosis,” she said.“This virus thing is becoming a psychosis,” she said.
Ernesto Tedesco, the mayor of Civitavecchia, said in a telephone interview that health protocols had been immediately activated and that the situation was being constantly monitored. He asked the health authorities to keep passengers on the ship until it was certain that there were no risks for the city. Emma Bubola reported from Civitavecchia and Elisabetta Povoledo and Jason Horowitz from Rome. Megan Specia contributed reporting from London.
“We’re not worried,” he said, “but we’re controlling things.”
An official at Italy’s Health Ministry said the first results of the tests undertaken by the Chinese passenger gave a reassuring clinical picture, but he noted that the ministry was waiting for the results of additional tests to rule out the coronavirus. Those results were expected later Thursday evening.
Meanwhile, the ship’s medical team and local health authorities who had boarded the ship were assessing and taking the temperature of those passengers who were scheduled to disembark in Civitavecchia, the official said.
Emma Bubola reported from Civitavecchia and Elisabetta Povoledo reported from Rome. Megan Specia contributed reporting from London.