A Chinese cruise ship passenger who was suspected of having coronavirus, which has prompted quarantines and lockdowns in several cities in China, do not have the virus, said the Italian Ministry of Health on Thursday.
The incident prompted Costa Cruises to investigate the matter while local officials held the ship at the port and didn’t allow passengers to disembark, according to a spokesperson for the mayor’s office.
A Costa Cruises spokesperson told Epoch Times that a “sanitary protocol has been activated for a guest” on the Costa Smeralda, docked off the coast of Civitavecchia, adding that the person is of Chinese origin.
She was placed “isolation on the onboard hospital since last night together” with her travel mate.
“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 case, according to the cruise liner.
Cruise line spokesman Davide Barbano said that 114 Americans are currently on the ship.
Italy’s Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, in a statement, said his government is “not worried, but vigilant and cautious,” AFP reported
“From this morning I am in continuous contact with the health and maritime authorities ... We are following all the protocols and we are constantly monitoring the case,” he said.
Italy’s maritime authority agreed to place a hold on passengers after the mayor requested it, said Patrick Vignola, a spokesman for the mayor.
Vignola added: “He did that because as a mayor he is responsible for the well-being of his citizens, and worried port workers were asking him, `How do we know we are safe?' We are glad the authorities listened to our plea.”
The development comes as American citizens who were evacuated from virus-hit Wuhan have voluntarily stayed at a California air base to undergo medical evaluations. At least 19 countries have reported cases of coronavirus infection, while the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned against nonessential travel to China.
The State Department has also advised U.S. citizens to “reconsider travel” to China and avoid going to Hubei Province, of which Wuhan is the capital.
The ship is operating seven-day cruises in Civitavecchia, La Spezia, Savona, Marseille, Barcelona, and Palma de Mallorca, according to the company.
Civitavecchia is located about 50 miles north of Rome, the capital city.