Dozens of passengers and crew from a cruise ship hit by a deadly hantavirus outbreak have been evacuated from Tenerife. The ship, the MV Hondius, arrived in the Canary Islands early on Sunday carrying 146 people, after three people died of the virus and eight more fell ill.
British passengers were among those taken off the vessel as part of a two-day operation that began on Sunday. They were put on chartered flights to the UK, where they will enter hospital quarantine in Merseyside. None of the British passengers are showing symptoms, according to the head of the NHS trust managing the quarantine.
Spanish passengers, wearing blue plastic ponchos and hair coverings, were taken off by medical teams in hazmat suits after being screened for the infection. They were then taken by coach to Tenerife airport. Fourteen Spanish citizens landed at Madrid airport on Sunday evening.
Separate flights have been arranged for passengers from the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Greece, Canada, Turkey, France, Ireland, and the US. The French prime minister announced that one of five French nationals flown home was showing symptoms. In the US, the health department said that out of 17 Americans being repatriated, one had mild symptoms and another tested mildly PCR positive for the Andes strain of the virus.
Spanish authorities said a Dutch refuelling plane would pick up any remaining passengers on Monday. The last scheduled flight would be to Australia with six people. The government of the Philippines confirmed that of the 38 Filipino crew, 24 were being transferred to the Netherlands for quarantine, while 14 essential crew remained on board to bring the ship to port in Rotterdam.
Those evacuated have been asked to isolate for 42 days from their point of potential exposure. The World Health Organization has said the passengers and crew will not come into contact with people in Tenerife. Authorities have sought to make clear that the virus, though serious, would not result in another pandemic.
