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Italian cruise ship leaves Covid rule-breaking passengers behind at Naples port

A family of tourists was kicked off their cruise on Wednesday after ditching their organised excursion to sightsee on their own, against the ship's anti-Covid regulations.

Published: 20 August 2020 15:08 CEST
Italian cruise ship leaves Covid rule-breaking passengers behind at Naples port
The MSC Grandiosa cruise ship refused to let a family of holidaymakers back on board following a shore excursion. Photo: AFP
The unnamed Italian family had disembarked at the port of Naples on an organised day trip to the nearby island of Capri – but then left the group and ventured forth on their own despite being told not to, MSC said.
 
The family was later refused entry back on the ship, and they were left behind at Naples.
 
“By departing from the organised shore excursion, this family broke from the safe 'social bubble' that MSC Cruises created for them to safely enjoy their visit ashore, and therefore could not be permitted to re-board the ship,” it said in a statement. 
 
 
Staff scan pasengers' temperatures ahead of boarding the MSC Grandiosa cruise ship. Photo: AFP
 
The MSC Grandiosa, part of the fleet of privately owned MSC Cruises, was the first major cruise line to take to the Mediterranean after Italy’s long coronavirus lockdown.
 
It departed from Genoa on Sunday for a seven-day tour, after being out of action for more than six months.
 
Its cruises are to sail at 70 percent passenger capacity, as part of a series of measures taken to reduce the risk of coronavirus infection on board, though company representatives said this particular voyage was at closer to 50 percent capacity.
 
 
MSC is taking a tough line as it tries to avoid the problems experienced by smaller cruise operator, Norway's Hurtigruten, earlier this month, when dozens of passengers and crew tested positive for COVID-19.
 
Health authorities fear passengers may have infected locals at ports up and down the Norwegian coast during day trips. 
 
MSC said its security protocol exceeds national and industry standards. It says it pre-screens sites to be visited to make sure social distancing can be maintained, sterilises vans and buses before trips, and ensures that tour guides and drivers are properly equipped with masks.
 
The global cruise industry, which is slowly trying to get back on its feet after travel stopped during lockdown, has been criticised by health authorities for mishandling the epidemic in its early stages.

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HEALTH

Italy’s schools warned to ‘avoid gatherings’ as Covid cases rise

As Italy’s new school year began, masks and hand sanitiser were distributed in schools and staff were asked to prevent gatherings to help stem an increase in Covid infections.

Published: 11 September 2023 12:48 CEST
Italy’s schools warned to ‘avoid gatherings’ as Covid cases rise

Pupils returned to school in many parts of Italy on Monday and authorities said they were distributing masks and hand sanitiser amid a post-summer increase in the number of recorded cases of Covid–19.

“The advice coming from principals, teachers and janitors is to avoid gatherings of students, especially in these first days of school,” Mario Rusconi, head of Italy’s Principals’ Association, told Rai news on Monday.

He added that local authorities in many areas were distributing masks and hand sanitizer to schools who had requested them.

“The use of personal protective equipment is recommended for teachers and students who are vulnerable,” he said, confirming that “use is not mandatory.”

A previous requirement for students to wear masks in the classroom was scrapped at the beginning of the last academic year.

Walter Ricciardi, former president of the Higher Health Institute (ISS), told Italy’s La Stampa newspaper on Monday that the return to school brings the risk of increased Covid infections.

Ricciardi described the health ministry’s current guidelines for schools as “insufficient” and said they were “based on politics rather than scientific criteria.”

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Recorded cases of Covid have increased in most Italian regions over the past three weeks, along with rates of hospitalisation and admittance to intensive care, as much of the country returns to school and work following the summer holidays.

Altogether, Italy recorded 21,309 new cases in the last week, an increase of 44 percent compared to the 14,863 seen the week before.

While the World Health Organisation said in May that Covid was no longer a “global health emergency,” and doctors say currently circulating strains of the virus in Italy are not a cause for alarm, there are concerns about the impact on elderly and clinically vulnerable people with Italy’s autumn Covid booster campaign yet to begin.

“We have new variants that we are monitoring but none seem more worrying than usual,” stated Fabrizio Maggi, director of the Virology and Biosafety Laboratories Unit of the Lazzaro Spallanzani Institute for Infectious Diseases in Rome

He said “vaccination coverage and hybrid immunity can only translate into a milder disease in young and healthy people,” but added that “vaccinating the elderly and vulnerable continues to be important.”

Updated vaccines protecting against both flu and Covid are expected to arrive in Italy at the beginning of October, and the vaccination campaign will begin at the end of October, Rai reported.

Amid the increase in new cases, Italy’s health ministry last week issued a circular mandating Covid testing on arrival at hospital for patients with symptoms.

Find more information about Italy’s current Covid-19 situation and vaccination campaign on the Italian health ministry’s website (available in English).

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