Canary islands: The cruise ship MV Hondius, facing a Hantavirus outbreak, arrived in the Canary Islands early this morning. Spanish officials and the World Health Organization immediately began the evacuation process of passengers from the ship, implementing strict screening measures before sending them to their respective destinations.
According to Thai News Agency, the MV Hondius, carrying 149 passengers and crew from 23 countries, anchored at the industrial port of Granadilla, off the coast of Tenerife, Spain. All passengers and staff were mandated to wear FFP2 masks, designed to protect against inhalation of airborne droplets, fine dust, and pathogens.
Spain's Health Minister disclosed that passengers would be disembarked by small boats from Sunday to Monday, contingent on favorable weather conditions. Spaniards were prioritized for disembarkation and were immediately transferred to hospitals in Madrid for quarantine and monitoring. Subsequently, passengers from the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Greece, Turkey, France, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Australia followed suit. Enclosed buses transported them to airports for immediate repatriation to their home countries.
Returning passengers are required to adhere to quarantine protocols as per their country's regulations. British passengers will undergo assessment in Wirral, while American passengers will be quarantined in Nebraska, potentially for up to 45 days, depending on the virus's incubation period. It has been confirmed that the remaining 147 passengers and crew members are currently asymptomatic. Approximately 30 crew members will stay aboard to navigate the ship to the Netherlands for disinfection.
The Spanish government and the World Health Organization (WHO) have assured the public in Tenerife that the risk remains very low due to the non-transmissible nature of the virus without prolonged close contact. They emphasized that this situation differs from a pandemic like COVID-19. Nevertheless, local protests have emerged from residents and right-wing political parties over public health concerns related to the ship's docking.
The virus's death toll stands at 3, including 2 Dutch nationals and 1 German national, with six positive cases confirmed out of eight suspected. The virus strain, identified as the Andes virus, has the rare capacity to spread through close contact. It is suspected that the initial infection source was a Dutch couple either birdwatching in Argentina or on the British Isles of Saint Helena before embarking on the cruise.