MV Hondius en route to Canary Islands with hantavirus cases aboard
via Le Mauricien5 min read
The MV Hondius cruise ship, carrying passengers and crew confined due to a hantavirus outbreak, is en route to Tenerife in the Spanish Canary Islands, expected to arrive on Saturday. An evacuation of passengers is planned for early next week. The ship has passed the Cape Verde archipelago, according to Marine Traffic. Spain's Ministry of Interior stated that all passengers will remain on board until repatriation flights arrive. The vessel is set to dock in Granadilla, Tenerife, despite local opposition. Spanish Minister of Health, Mónica García Gómez, confirmed a joint health assessment and evacuation plan will be implemented to repatriate all passengers, unless their health prevents it. EU countries are responsible for their citizens, potentially with European Commission assistance, while the evacuation of non-European passengers is still being arranged. The ship, with 23 nationalities aboard, departed Praia, Cape Verde, at 5:15 PM GMT. Oceanwide Expeditions, the tour operator, reported that three additional health professionals boarded to provide medical care during the journey. According to the World Health Organization and Oceanwide, three individuals—two sick crew members and one contact case—were evacuated from the ship and transported via medical flights from Praia. Ann Lindstrand, WHO representative in Cape Verde, stated all three are in stable condition, with one being asymptomatic. One patient is being admitted to Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands,
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by Le Mauricien.
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