The first group of passengers, all Spanish nationals, began disembarking on Sunday from the cruise ship MV Hondius, which has been affected by a hantavirus outbreak and is anchored near the port of Granadilla, off the coast of Tenerife, Spain’s health ministry said.
The Spanish passengers were transferred by small boats to shore and taken directly to military facilities at the airport, from where they will be flown to Madrid on a government aircraft. Upon arrival, they will be transferred to hospital facilities and placed in quarantine, Spanish officials said.
Spain’s health minister said the evacuation of passengers from the vessel, which is carrying nearly 150 passengers and crew, is expected to continue until Monday afternoon local time. Spanish nationals are being evacuated first, in line with the agreed plan.
Dutch and others to follow
According to Reuters, Dutch authorities will next repatriate passengers from the Netherlands, with the same aircraft also carrying passengers from Germany, Belgium and Greece. Passengers from Turkey, France, the United Kingdom and the United States are expected to follow, the Spanish health minister said while speaking to reporters at the port in Tenerife.
The Hondius arrived off Tenerife early on Sunday ahead of the emergency disembarkation operation, after several countries coordinated evacuation plans for their nationals.
France organises medical flight
Separately, French authorities said five French passengers on board the MV Hondius would be repatriated on Sunday via a “medical flight”, according to a joint statement by France’s health and foreign ministries.
The transfer will take place “in compliance with applicable health protocols and in line with World Health Organization recommendations,” the statement said.
Upon arrival in France, the five passengers will be placed in hospital quarantine for 72 hours, where their health status will be fully assessed. They will then return to their homes, where they will remain in isolation for 45 days under medical supervision, French authorities said.
WHO says passengers high-risk contacts
The World Health Organization has classified all those on board the vessel as “high‑risk contacts”. French health authorities said exposed individuals who have not shown symptoms will be monitored in their areas of residence, with follow‑up including an initial assessment and regular contact for a period of six weeks, corresponding to the virus’s maximum incubation period.
French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu is scheduled to hold a meeting later on Sunday to assess the situation, his office said. French authorities added that “at this stage, no confirmed case has been reported on French territory”.
A French national who was isolated after showing mild symptoms following contact with a confirmed hantavirus case later tested negative, the French government said on Friday.
According to the latest WHO assessment, six confirmed cases have been identified among eight suspected infections, including three fatalities. Hantavirus is a known but rare virus for which there is currently no vaccine or specific treatment.
Sources: CNA, AMNA, Reuters
