Cruise ship that stopped in Spain’s Mallorca blocked in Italy suspected of carrying the Coronavirus

A CRUISE ship, carrying 6,000 passengers, has been placed into lockdown after a new suspected coronavirus infection.

Passengers on the boat, which was en route from Palma to Rome, have not been allowed to disembark until tests are carried out and confirmed.

The ship was detained at the port of Civitavecchia, Rome.

Spaniards are among those onboard the Costa Smeralda ship, which had previously docked at Barcelona and Palma.

This protocol began when a woman from Macao, China presented fever and respiratory problems.

The woman and her husband have been isolated in the ship’s hospital.

The couple arrived in Italy on January 25 from China. 

A team from the Spallanzani hospital in Rome boarded the ship to carry out tests. 

The virus that began in the city of Wuhan, China has so far resulted in 170 deaths.

There are reports that the husband is also showing symptoms of infection but these are unconfirmed.

It comes after a suspected case of the deadly virus was reported on the Costa del Sol.