6,000 passengers held on cruise ship in Italy as Wuhan coronavirus fears spread

The Costa Smeralda cruise ship is docked in the Civitavecchia port near Rome, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2020. Italian health authorities are screening passengers aboard after a passenger from Macao came down with flu-like symptoms amid the global scare about a new virus. Passengers are being kept on board pending check to determine the type of virus. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Six thousand people are being kept on a cruise ship in Italy as one passenger shows symptoms of the Wuhan coronavirus, while Russia is shutting its border with China to stem the spread of the outbreak.

The number of cases of the virus that originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan has shot up by 30% in just a day to more than 7,700 on the country's mainland. Elsewhere, more than 100 people have been infected in 20 countries or territories across North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Most concerning, instances of human-to-human transmission . A spokesperson for Costa Cruises told CNN that a 54-year-old woman was showing symptoms of the virus, namely a fever.  "All the other passengers are, at the moment remaining on board," the spokesperson said.



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My worst nightmare. As much as I love Italy being stuck on a cruise ship potentially being quarantined...I’m not good with water at the best of times 🙀 https://t.co/QNGlWSNUZA

— No Strange Kate AKA Cathy Chesham (@WhosKateStrange) January 30, 2020