Dominican Republic turns away cruise ship fearing several people aboard with flu-like symptons might be carrying coronavirus.

The Dominican Republic prohibited more than 1,000 cruise passengers on the Fred. Olsen Cruise Line Braemar ship from disembarking in La Romana Thursday, fearing several people aboard with flu-like symptons might be carrying coronavirus.

It was the fourth time this week that a Caribbean country has turned away a cruise ship as the number of coronavirus cases worldwide grows, now affecting 50 nations.

The ship, carrying 1,128 passengers and 384 crew, was scheduled to offload passengers in La Romana Thursday after a 14-day Caribbean cruise and pick up new ones. A spokesperson for Fred. Olsen Cruise Line said via email that there are a small number of cases of influenza-type symptoms on board. The director of the Dominican Republic port authority Víctor Gómez Casanova announced that the ship will not be allowed to disembark passengers in La Romana Thursday or visit Santo Domingo as planned on Friday.

“By disposition of the Ministry of Health @SaludPublicaRD, no passengers have been allowed to disembark from the ship BRAEMAR in the Port La Romana, because there are cases on board of people under medical observation with symptoms of fever, cough and difficulty breathing @PortuariaRD,” Casanova tweeted.

The Dominican Republic’s decision to turn away the Braemar cruise ship follows similar decisions from Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, which turned away the MSC Meraviglia cruise ship Tuesday, and the British Virgin Islands, which turned away the Costa Favolosa cruise ship Wednesday.

MSC Cruises said a crew member on board the Meraviglia tested positive for the common flu. The ship successfully docked in Cozumel, Mexico, Thursday and Miami-Dade County has cleared the ship to return to PortMiami on Sunday. Costa Cruises, owned by Carnival Corporation, said the Favolosa ship docked in St. Marteen Wednesday.

The cruise ship shuffle in the Caribbean shows just how complicated travel is becoming as the coronavirus spurs restrictions and fears.

Cruise companies have been denying boarding to people who have recently visited China, Hong Kong or Macau since mid-February. Now, companies are adding Iran, South Korea, and areas of Italy to the list of places cruisers aren’t allowed to have traveled to in the last 14 or 15 days if they wish to board cruise ships.

In addition to those who have visited China, Hong Kong and Macau, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. is denying boarding to people who have visited Iran, South Korea, and the Italian regions of Lombardy and Veneto in the last 15 days. MSC Cruises is denying boarding to people who have visited Italian municipalities Casalpusterlengo, Codogno, Castiglione d’Adda, Fombio, Maleo, Somaglia, Bertonico, Terranova dei Passerini, Castelgerundo, San Fiorano and Vò in the last 14 days.

Carnival Corporation told the Miami Herald Thursday that it has added South Korea to the list of countries cruisers cannot have visited within 14 days before boarding its ships. Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, Ltd. has not added any new countries to its list and did not respond to a request for comment. Fred. Olsen Cruise Line referred the Miami Herald to its website, which does not list any countries with restrictions.

On land, traveling is getting more complicated, too, as countries enact similar bans.

Beatrice Rosa, an Italian entrepreneur and chocolate distributor, was traveling with eight other Italians inspecting cacao farms in Honduras this week.

On Wednesday, the delegation was planning on traveling to El Salvador to continue its trip, when the government announced that it was barring Italians and South Koreans from entering the country to try to stop the spread of coronavirus.

Fearing that other Central American nations might follow suit and leave them stranded, Rosa said most of the delegation decided to head back to Italy early.

While she was scheduled to visit Nicaragua, she wasn’t sure if she would be allowed to transit through El Salvador and also decided to cut her trip short.

“The situation is changing minute by minute,” she said on Wednesday. “What if Nicaragua and other countries close their borders? I’d rather go home than get stuck.”

Despite numerous scares in the region, Brazil is the only Latin American country to have a confirmed case of coronavirus. On Wednesday, officials said a 61-year-old Brazilian man who had traveled to Italy this month had been infected.

Rosa said her delegation left Italy on Feb. 19, before there were any confirmed cases, and said that all the travelers live far away from the regions of Italy where coronavirus has been found.

“There’s a fear of Italians right now that seems to be going around the world,” she said.

From Miami Herald.