A passenger from a cruise ship returning to Italy has tested positive for the new coronavirus in Greece, state TV ERT said Monday. The passenger, described in reports as a 63-year-old woman from Argentina, had disembarked on the Greek island of Crete from the Costa Victoria on Sunday after falling ill. The woman has been placed in intensive care at the island capital of Iraklio with acute bronchitis symptoms, local officials said. A source at the Iraklio hospital where the woman is being treated confirmed the news to AFP on condition of anonymity. The Greek health ministry did not reply to a request for comment. According to marine tracking data, the cruise ship Costa Victoria is expected to arrive in Venice on March 28. There are 1,500 passengers and crew on board, ERT said, including scores of Australian pensioners who are fearful of being unable to return home. Italy has closed its ports to foreign cruise ships and suspended the operation of its own services in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The transport ministry said late Thursday that Italian ships already at sea would have to return to port and undergo tests on all crew and passengers. str-jph/jj