A mega cruise ship with over 6,000 tourists is being kept on lock-down around 15 miles of the coast of Rome, Italy due to two possible cases of coronavirus.

The thousands of cruisegoers have now found themselves stuck aboard the Costa Smerelda after a woman from Macau was put into quarantine after exhibiting symptoms in line with the coronavirus.

Local health authorities said that she “was placed in solitary confinement in the on-board hospital last night with her travel companion”.

The 54-year-old woman was seen to by three doctors and a nurse aboard the Costa Crociere ship in the Italian port of Civitavecchia after she reported having a fever and suffering from breathing difficulties.

Samples from the couple have now been sent for testing.

This comes after Maltese authorities set up an isolation chamber in Mater Dei in the case of the coronavirus coming to Malta.

#CostaCivitavecchia pic.twitter.com/fXkvkZPiW6

— Filippo???????? (@Filippo64416163) January 30, 2020

Pictured above: images from aboard the ship

The couple had arrived in Italy on the 25th of January and boarded the Costa Smeralda in the port of Savona. The ship had visited ports in Spain and France before arriving in Italy on Thursday.

The Costa Smeralda is the fifth-largest cruise ship in the world and takes cruisegoers on one week-long trips around western Mediterranean.

“We’re a bit worried of course. No-one is getting on or off the ship apart from the doctors. This holiday risks ending in a nightmare,” said one person aboard the ship.

Over 170 people have since died from the coronavirus, with at least 15 countries having confirmed infections. Today world health authorities are discussing whether they should declare a global emergency.