Diamond Princess skipper symbol for Italy - Di Maio

(ANSA) - Rome, March 2 - Diamond Princess skipper Gennaro Arma, the last to leave the coronavirus-hit cruise ship at Yokohama overnight, is a "symbol of the Italy that does not give up", Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said Monday. Di Maio praised Arma for "transmitting serenity to all".
    Arma's employers hailed him as a hero.
    "Captain Arma was last to leave #DiamondPrincess," Princess Cruises said via its Twitter account, @PrincessCruises.
    "He is a hero in our eyes. "We thank him & our exceptional onboard team. "We offer our sincere gratitude to all the agencies in Japan & around the world who worked with us to support our guests & crew through this extraordinary time".