Fifteen people who had tested positive for Covid were taken off the MSC Grandiosa cruise ship when it docked in Palma on Friday.

The ship arrived first thing in the morning, an outbreak having already affected more than 150 people. The latest cases corresponded to eleven members of the crew, who are isolating in Palma under supervision of the IB-Salut health service, and four passengers, who are Mallorcan.

The first positives were detected from tests in Genoa. Forty people left the ship and went into isolation. On Tuesday, the other positive cases, mainly Italians, left the ship in Civitavecchia.

All those on board had to show a Covid passport or - in the case of minors - a negative test and had to submit to tests during the cruise.

Some Spanish passengers still on board were isolating in their cabins because they were contacts. On social media they have expressed their annoyance at the fact that while new passengers have been joining the cruise, they have been unable to leave, unless permanently.

The MSC Grandiosa began the cruise on December 28 in Marseille with almost 5,000 people on board, including passengers and crew. From Palma, the ship was due to travel to Barcelona.