ROME, April 9. /TASS/. Russian tourists who were travelling on a cruise ship docked in a port near Rome and quarantined in one of the Rome hotels have left Rome for Moscow aboard a specially organized flight, the Russian embassy in Italy reported Thursday.
"As a result of collective effort of Russian and Italian authorities, the Russian embassy in Italy and Costa Crociere, the ship owner, this special flight was organized to send Russian passengers of large cruise ships home," the statement says.
Overall, 121 people left Rome, primarily tourists and a few crewmembers from the two ships.
A few dozen of Russians on board the Costa Victoria cruise ship have been quarantined on the ship since March 25 when they entered the port of Civitavecchia (100 km to the north of Rome). The tourists told TASS that they had all the conditions for their forced stay. "After most passengers - Italians and foreigners who were cleared - disembarked, we were moved to suites with balconies, while families with children were given large deluxe cabins with two rooms. Everyone had their temperature checked twice a day, in the morning and in the evening. No one among us seems to have got it," one of the tourists said.
It was prohibited to disembark after on March 22 the ship left an Argentinian woman who contracted coronavirus in Crete.
The other ship, Costa Luminosa, entered the port of Genoa even before that, coronavirus contamination was also identified there. As a result, Russian passengers were transported to Rome where they were placed in quarantine in one of the hotels thanks to efforts of the embassy. The ship owner took care of all the financial expenses, at the same time. "We are grateful to Costa Crociere company for cooperation and care after our citizens in this difficult time," the embassy noted.
Earlier, Costa Crociere announced that it suspends all voyages until April 30.