Passengers start disembarking off hantavirus-hit cruise ship
The cruise ship hit with hantavirus docked at Spain’s Canary Islands on Sunday, and the disembarkation process for passengers and some crew members is now underway.
Cruise operator Oceanwide Expeditions said the MV Hondius arrived at the port of Granadilla, Tenerife around 6:24 a.m. local time. Passengers are going to be flown back to the countries where they live.
Spanish nationals were the first to get off the ship, The Associated Press reported. They were taken to a military hospital and will be under quarantine.
“The entire operation is proceeding normally,” Spanish Health Minister Mónica García was quoted by the AP as saying.
Officials from the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention previously said none of the more than 140 people on MV Hondius are symptomatic. Personnel working at the port of Granadilla still wore protective gear, such as face masks, hazmat suits and respirators while evacuating passengers, the AP wrote. Those disembarking are only allowed to take a small bag with items deemed essential, a cellphone, a charger and necessary documentation.
In a message to the people of Tenerife on Saturday, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization, acknowledged that people are scared about the hantavirus, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic.
“But I need you to hear me clearly: this is not another COVID,” he said. “The current public health risk from hantavirus remains low. My colleagues and I have said this unequivocally, and I will say it again to you now.”
Once the passengers and “limited” crew are disembarked, MV Hondius will get supplies in Santa Cruz, Tenerife before going to the port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands with the remaining crew members, Oceanwide said. This trip is expected to take five days.
Around 147 people were on the cruise ship when the outbreak was first reported to the WHO earlier this month, and 34 previously disembarked. Three passengers died.
Spain’s interior minister said on Saturday Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, and the Netherlands are sending planes to evacuate their citizens on the cruise ship upon their arrival, Reuters reported. Two additional planes are being sent by the European Union for the rest of the European citizens.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is tracking 17 U.S. citizens on board the ship and seven who previously returned to the U.S., an official from the CDC told reporters on a call Saturday.
The American cruise passengers will be taken to the National Quarantine Center at the University of Nebraska to be assessed before returning to their home states. It is the only federally funded quarantine unit in the U.S.
“We are prepared for situations exactly like this,” Dr. Michael Ash, CEO of Nebraska Medicine, said in a statement. “Our teams have trained for decades alongside federal and state partners to make sure we can safely provide care while protecting our staff and the broader community. We are proud to support this national effort.”
Passengers can expect an overall monitoring period of 42 days, a CDC official said in a call with reporters on Saturday, though this will “not necessarily” all take place in Nebraska.
“We will continue to assess and monitor the passengers. We’re coordinating with state and local health departments as well,” the CDC official said.
Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
