Cruise ship passengers wait for Portugal inspection

More than 1,300 passengers were confined to their cruise ship in the Portuguese capital Lisbon on Sunday after authorities said no one would be allowed off without stringent checks to ensure they weren't infected with coronavirus. The MSC Fantasia arrived in Lisbon from Brazil. Most of the passengers are from the EU, the UK, Brazil and Australia.

Following government restrictions announced last week, only Portuguese citizens or those with residency permits will be able to disembark, following a COVID-19 test.

They will then be placed in quarantine.

The remaining passengers will be escorted to Lisbon airport for humanitarian repatriation flights that are expected to begin on Tuesday, Portuguese authorities said.

No passengers on board have reported any symptoms.

But relatives on shore were anxious to see their loved ones.

Brazilian-Portuguese resident of Lisbon, Daisy Quinta, whose mother and daughter are on board, said she felt calmer after seeing them on deck.

They were waiting to undergo the test before being allowed to disembark.

Portugal had, as of Sunday, 1600 confirmed cases of the new coronavirus and 14 dead.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough.

For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.