The alert was apparently given by bus passengers alarmed by the strong cough of their driver. Since 7:30 am on Monday, the passengers of a bus from Milan (Italy) have been confined to the Perrache bus station in Lyon, due to a suspicion of coronavirus.
Les passagers du Flixbus en provenance de Milan, bloqué dans la Gare de Lyon Perrache depuis ce matin en raison d’une suspicion de cas de coronavirus, sortent au fur et à mesure. @20Minutes #coronavirus #Lyon pic.twitter.com/ZqszBoyFU0
— Jérémy Laugier (@JeremyLaugier) February 24, 2020
The 18 people boarding in Lyon were very rarely able to leave the coach
At 12:30 p.m., part of the passengers remained confined in one of the rooms of the [Perrache exchange center, but a majority had been able to leave the premises.
“Eighteen people who had just boarded the bus in Lyon to join Clermont-Ferrand were authorized to exit quickly,” said a mobilized fire safety officer. Passengers from Italy were detained for several hours.
#coronavirus #lyon actuellement un bus originaire de Milan bloqué a la gare Lyon perrache pour suspicion de cas de virus pic.twitter.com/iiyY2dCQi5
— oumsedia69200 (@oumsedia69200) February 24, 2020
The driver and a passenger who also had an influenza-like illness were said to have been hospitalized in Lyon to detect or confirm coronavirus contamination. Contacted by 20 Minutes, the ARS did not wish to give more information for the time being.
“We are there to assess the situation and make the best decisions,” said one spokesman for the health agency, anxious to avoid “any panic”.