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Coronavirus pandemic

Hundreds of passengers, including Russian nationals remain aboard a ship in port of Savona

84 people remain in isolation aboard the ship after several coronavirus cases have been discovered

ROME, March 22. /TASS/. Several hundred passengers, including Russian nationals, remain stranded aboard the Costa Luminosa cruise ship, docked in Italy’s Savona. According to ANSA report news agency report, the first batch of tourists - primarily Italian nationals from nearby regions - began disembarking Saturday.

According to the report, 84 people remain in isolation aboard the ship after several coronavirus cases have been discovered. All infected passengers stepped ashore during the ship’s previous stop at the port of Marcel. The disembarkment will continue Sunday, with assistance of the Department of Civil Protection and the Italian Red Cross. There are people from countries who have completely cut air service with Italy aboard the ship.

Earlier, Costa Crociere company, the owner of the Costa Luminosa, told TASS that there are 10 Russian nationals aboard the ship. Russia’s Aeroflot continues flights between Moscow and Rome. The Italian authorities discuss the procedure of the evacuation of the foreigners at the moment. Russian Consulate General in Genoa monitors the situation and remains in contact with local authorities.

On Saturday, 37 Russian and 4 Belarusian nationals from another ship, Costa Pacifica, have been successfully transported from Genoa to Rome for a flight to Moscow.

The authorities of Italy’s Veneto region have already denied docking in Venice to another ship, Costa Victoria, which was scheduled to arrive there on March 28.

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