The cruise ship involved in a deadly hantavirus outbreak has been given the all-clear to resume sailing from later this month. Oceanwide Expeditions confirmed in a statement that all voyages from 13 June onwards will proceed as scheduled, with no further disruption expected to the sailing schedule of MV Hondius.
In April, MV Hondius was on a voyage from Argentina to Cape Verde when it was hit by a severe outbreak of hantavirus, a rodent-borne illness transmitted through droppings and urine. The outbreak resulted in three deaths and 13 confirmed cases. The ship's planned departure from Rotterdam to Vlissingen was delayed following advice from GGD Rotterdam for additional cleaning procedures.
On 30 May, the Dutch public health service announced that from a public health perspective, there were no longer any obstacles to putting the ship into operation. This followed a final inspection on 29 May, during which infection prevention experts determined that the Hondius had been effectively cleaned and disinfected in accordance with established guidelines.
Crew members from the original voyage were escorted to quarantine facilities, and Captain Jan Dobrogowski travelled to Poland via specialised transport. Some Dutch staff returned home to quarantine where appropriate. The UK Health Security Agency ordered 20 British nationals, along with one German and one Japanese passenger, to quarantine at Arrowe Park Hospital on the Wirral on 10 May. Six individuals left Arrowe Park over the weekend to complete their 45-day isolation period at home or other suitable accommodation.
