Madrid, May 9 (EFE).- The World Health Organization Saturday confirmed six cases of hantavirus linked to the cruise ship MV Hondius, as Spanish authorities finalized a large-scale repatriation and quarantine operation ahead of the vessel’s arrival in Tenerife.
Six confirmed cases
One of the suspected hantavirus cases involving a passenger from the cruise ship tested positive in a PCR test, increasing the number of confirmed infections to six, according to the WHO’s latest update.
WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic told EFE that none of the passengers or crew members still aboard the vessel had shown symptoms as of Saturday morning.
The WHO added that investigations into the origin of the outbreak and the possible exposure of the initial patient are continuing in cooperation with authorities in Argentina and Chile.
Repatriation and security operation
Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said Saturday that the full repatriation operation was ready and that all necessary measures had been implemented to guarantee medical care for those aboard, protect public health and ensure public safety.
Authorities have also prohibited navigation within one nautical mile of the vessel once it enters Canary Islands waters.
Officials said eight countries have already arranged flights to repatriate passengers and crew members from the ship.
Within the European Union, repatriation flights have been scheduled for France, Germany, Belgium, Ireland, the Netherlands and mainland Spain. For EU countries lacking sufficient air transport capacity, the EU Civil Protection Mechanism has provided two aircraft to support the operation.
Repatriation flights have also been confirmed for the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada.
The ship is expected to dock early Sunday near the port of Granadilla in Tenerife, a secondary port located about 10 minutes by road from Tenerife South Airport, from where evacuation flights are expected to depart.
WHO chief to travel to Spain
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is scheduled to meet Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on Saturday to discuss the disembarkation operation.
Tedros will later travel to Tenerife alongside Spanish Health Minister Mónica García and Grande-Marlaska to oversee coordination efforts ahead of the ship’s arrival.
In a message posted on X directed at residents of Tenerife, Tedros stressed that “this is not another COVID” and said the current public health risk posed by hantavirus “remains low.”
Spaniards to disembark first
The 14 Spanish passengers aboard the MV Hondius, which currently has 147 people on board, will be the first to disembark in Tenerife, along with the WHO epidemiologist for Africa.
All will undergo mandatory quarantine at Madrid’s Gómez Ulla military hospital.
A Madrid court on Saturday upheld the Health Ministry’s quarantine order, which the Spanish passengers have reportedly agreed to follow voluntarily. EFE
nac-sk
