Tenerife: Spain's Health Minister confirmed that the cruise ship MV Hondius will arrive in the Canary Islands early this morning local time. Officials are fully prepared to handle the situation.
According to Thai News Agency, Spanish Health Minister Monica Garca announced that the MV Hondius cruise ship, which is experiencing a Hantavirus outbreak and has 149 passengers and crew from 23 countries on board, is scheduled to arrive off the coast of Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain, in the early hours of Sunday, between 3:00 AM and 5:00 AM local time. Spaniards will be the first to disembark at the port of Granadilla. All passengers and staff involved will be required to wear FFP2 masks, a European standard particulate filter with effectiveness similar to the US N95 mask, designed to prevent the inhalation of airborne droplets, fine dust, and pathogens.
Passengers will be disembarked from the ship by smaller boats from Sunday through Monday, only during periods of favorable weather. After disembarking, passengers will be transported by enclosed buses to airports for immediate repatriation to their home countries, such as the United Kingdom, the United States, France, Germany, and Belgium. Returning passengers will be required to undergo quarantine procedures according to each country's regulations. For example, British passengers will be sent to a hospital in Werrall for assessment, while American passengers will be sent to a hospital in Nebraska for quarantine and observation.
The Spanish government and the World Health Organization (WHO) have confirmed that the risk to the public in Tenerife is very low, as there is no direct contact and the Andes virus is difficult to spread from person to person and requires prolonged close contact.
The latest death toll from the virus remains at 3, consisting of 2 Dutch nationals and 1 German national. Six positive cases have been confirmed out of eight suspected cases. Currently, no one on the ship is showing any further symptoms. Approximately 30 crew members will remain on board to continue the journey to the Netherlands for disinfection.