Around 6,000 passengers on an Italian cruise ship were stuck in Civitavecchia because two Chinese guests on board suspected infection with the virus. The all-clear came in the afternoon: the Italian news agency Ansa wrote that the suspicion had not been confirmed.
Are you currently on the Costa Smeralda and cannot leave the cruise ship? Get in touch with us via Whatsapp!
You should save this number in your contact list right away, because you can send photos and videos to the 20-minute editorial team via WhatsApp.
A spokeswoman for the shipping company Costa Crociere previously confirmed to 20 minutes: “Yes, there are also Swiss on board.” St. Gallen’s Andy Ruckstuhl is one of them. The 38-year-old is currently on board the ship with his family. Until late in the afternoon, the passengers had not been left ashore, he says. Numerous, mainly Asian tourists, suddenly wore respirators. “Security personnel stood at the exits,” said Ruckstuhl. He is relieved to receive the all-clear, even though he was “not really afraid” throughout the day.
There is also a certain Filippo on board who posts photos of the interior of the Costa Smeralda on Twitter: passengers sit on the ground, some have trolley cases with them. They probably wanted to go ashore in Civitavecchia, from where they set sail on January 23.
Another photo of the Italian passenger shows police cars on the quay. About his photos Filippo has “We are currently stuck on the ship in Civitavecchia without knowing the reason (officially)”. He also posted a message about the detained ship.
“One wonders how it will end”
“Usually the officers leave the ship when the passengers go ashore in the morning,” says Antoine to 20 minutes. The man is currently on board the Costa Smeralda. “This morning, however, everyone stays inside, communication was primarily via the telephone or megaphone,” said the Frenchman, who had joined his wife from Marseille on Sunday.
“One wonders how it will turn out, whether it really is a case of corona virus and whether the employer understands if you don’t show up for work on Monday.”
One was informed only later in the day that a suspected case was on board. “Previously, there were many rumors about a sick Chinese tourist on board.” In the meantime, information sheets were distributed on board, according to which the person concerned had been tested. The samples were brought on board and are now being evaluated. “We will be informed about the result later,” said Antoine.
(Reuters / 20 minutes)
– ,
