Hantavirus Cruise Ship Evacuees Begin Leaving Tenerife
The Guardian reported Sunday that an evacuation of passengers aboard the MV Hondius has begun in Tenerife. The vessel arrived at the Canary Islands in the early hours of Sunday after a deadly hantavirus outbreak claimed three lives and left eight others ill.
Hazmat Teams Move Passengers to Airport Coaches
Spanish passengers were the first to disembark. Medical teams in hazmat suits escorted them off the ship while they wore blue plastic coverings and hair protection. Coaches then transported the group directly to Tenerife airport. The ship is anchored just offshore at the southern commercial port of Granadilla de Abona. Passengers are being ferried to the dock in small groups of five to ten by tender boat.
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A Multi-Nation Repatriation Operation
The MV Hondius carried 146 passengers and crew representing more than a dozen nationalities. Spain departed first, with health minister Mónica García confirming the aircraft was ready on the tarmac when disembarkation started. A subsequent Dutch-operated flight will carry German, Belgian, Greek and some crew members. Separate flights are scheduled for the UK, Canada, Turkey, France, Ireland and the United States later Sunday. The 19 UK passengers and three British crew members are bound for Arrowe Park hospital in Wirral, Merseyside, for hospital quarantine. Australia’s six passengers face a Monday afternoon departure. All evacuees are being asked to self-isolate for 42 days from their point of potential exposure.
How the Outbreak Unfolded
The polar expedition vessel spent several days stranded off Praia, the Cape Verdean capital, after local authorities refused docking permission. Officials there feared the island nation’s healthcare system could not absorb a potential wider outbreak. All remaining passengers had been confined to cabins in recent days. Hantavirus spreads only through very close contact and can cause flu-like symptoms progressing to respiratory failure in serious cases. No one currently aboard is showing symptoms, authorities said.
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WHO Moves to Calm Pandemic Fears
WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus was pressed at a late-night Tenerife press conference on whether dispersing passengers globally while relying on self-isolation could seed further outbreaks. He said WHO’s assessment indicated that scenario would not unfold. The Canary Islands president, Fernando Clavijo, added that passenger transfers to the dock would occur only once aircraft were physically on the runway ready to receive them. Authorities expect winds off the island to strengthen from Monday, which could complicate boarding for any passengers whose homebound flights have yet to be confirmed.
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