Spain has begun the evacuation of passengers aboard the MS Hondius after a hantavirus outbreak linked to the vessel raised international concern.
The cruise ship, anchored near Tenerife in the Canary Islands, arrived before dawn on Sunday, nearly one month after the first passenger death was reported onboard.
Spanish Health Minister Mónica García said the evacuation operation was progressing under strict sanitary control and confirmed that all passengers currently onboard remain asymptomatic.
Passengers and crew are being evacuated in stages according to nationality. Small boats are transporting groups from the ship to the coast, where charter flights are waiting to repatriate them to their respective countries.
Spanish nationals are the first to leave the vessel, followed by passengers and crew members being transferred to the Netherlands, including Dutch, Greek and German citizens. Additional flights are expected to depart for the United Kingdom, United States and other destinations, while the final evacuation flight is scheduled for Australia on Monday.
Passengers were seen onboard wearing white medical masks as evacuation procedures began. Others arriving ashore maintained physical distancing while being welcomed by officials equipped with protective suits.
The operation has been described by Spanish authorities as unprecedented due to fears surrounding the rare Andes strain of hantavirus, which health experts believe may spread between humans under close-contact conditions.
Medical teams boarded the ship early Sunday morning to carry out additional health screenings and monitor passengers for symptoms linked to the virus.
Security around the vessel has been reinforced with maritime patrols and a one-nautical-mile exclusion zone around the ship. Emergency services, military police and disaster response units have also been deployed near the port of Granadilla.
Hospitals in Tenerife have been placed on high alert. Intensive care specialists at Hospital Universitario Nuestra Señora de Candelaria are prepared to receive any patient who may develop severe symptoms during the evacuation process.
According to local health officials, a specialized isolation unit equipped for infectious disease treatment is fully operational and ready if needed.
The Director-General of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, travelled to Tenerife to oversee the operation and praised Spanish authorities for what he called a “solid and effective response”.
Tedros acknowledged public concern among residents of Tenerife, especially because of memories linked to the COVID-19 pandemic, but insisted the current risk to the wider population remains low.
The outbreak has reportedly been linked to a landfill site in southern Argentina frequented by birdwatchers, where rodents carrying the virus are known to live.
Although hantavirus usually spreads through rodents, specialists say the Andes strain can, in rare circumstances, spread between humans after prolonged close contact.
Three cruise passengers have died since the voyage began. The first death occurred on 11 April, followed by additional fatalities during the ship’s journey across the South Atlantic.
Some concern emerged locally after the vessel was redirected to Tenerife. Demonstrations were held by port workers worried about possible contamination risks, while regional political leaders questioned aspects of the operation.
Fernando Clavijo briefly opposed allowing the ship into port, citing fears related to the handling of the outbreak. However, Spain’s central government later confirmed the evacuation would proceed under strict medical supervision.
Despite the tension, many residents said they trust the safety measures put in place by authorities.
A small number of crew members will remain aboard the MS Hondius to help navigate the vessel back to the Netherlands once the evacuation process is completed.
Passengers returning home are expected to face extended quarantine periods due to the virus’s long incubation period, which can last several weeks.
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