Tenerife faces Hantavirus cruise challenge amid local protests
Spain is coordinating the repatriation of passengers aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship as it approaches Tenerife following a hantavirus outbreak that infected eight people and killed three, reports a Qazinform News Agency correspondent.
The vessel, carrying 147 passengers and crew from 22 countries, is expected to arrive in the Canary Islands this weekend under strict health measures agreed upon with the World Health Organization. Spanish officials confirmed the ship will anchor offshore near Granadilla de Abona instead of docking directly, with passengers ferried ashore in small groups to avoid contact with residents.
“From this ship, no one will disembark unless it is for a direct transfer to the airport and return to their home country,” said Virginia Barcones, Spain’s Director General of Civil Protection and Emergencies.
Spain’s government is negotiating with multiple countries regarding the return of their citizens. Agreements are already advancing with several European states, the United States, and the United Kingdom. According to officials, 14 Spanish nationals will be flown by military aircraft to Madrid, where they are expected to undergo quarantine at Gómez-Ulla Hospital.
Fernando Clavijo, president of the Canary Islands, insisted that residents must remain protected from any potential exposure. The decision to keep the ship offshore, however, has sparked logistical concerns and protests from port workers.
“We are concerned about the possibility of having to work at the port without specific safety measures or proper information while a vessel carrying infected passengers is arriving,” said Joana Batista of a local dock workers’ union.
Pedro Gullón, Spain’s director general of public health, sought to reassure the public, noting that person-to-person transmission of the Andes strain of hantavirus remains uncommon.
“People usually think everything must be handled as if we were wearing astronaut suits,” Gullón said. “But transmission from one person to another is actually very uncommon.”
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that World Health Organization said eight hantavirus-linked cases, including three deaths, have been reported in connection with the cruise ship MV Hondius, as international health authorities continue investigating the outbreak and tracing passengers across multiple countries.