A specialist Army team parachuted onto a remote volcanic island today with emergency supplies to save the life of a British hantavirus patient. The dramatic rescue mission was the first of its kind, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said.
It came as the stricken MV Hondius was finally evacuated a month after the first death on board. The Dutch-registered cruise liner dropped anchor just before dawn off Granadilla on Tenerife in the Canary Islands, carrying 149 passengers and crew. The 22 Britons aboard were taken ashore in small boats to board a bus for the airport. There, they donned Hazmat suits, were hosed down with disinfectant, and boarded flights home.
Remote Island Rescue
The airborne Army team carried medical aid and equipment onto Tristan da Cunha. This volcanic island is Britain's remotest overseas territory, located 1,750 miles from Cape Town in the southern Atlantic Ocean. With no landing strip, six paratroopers, an RAF consultant, and an Army nurse from the 16 Air Assault Brigade parachuted in. Around 3.3 tonnes (3,300 kg) of oxygen supplies and medical aid were also delivered to the island's hospital.
The MoD said it was the first time airborne medical personnel had deployed to provide humanitarian support. Brigadier Ed Cartwright of the 16th Air Assault Brigade described the hazardous flight conditions. "There were very high winds," he said. "And the island is very small. We had to dispatch the parachutists into the wind and they were then blown backwards over the island. If you get that wrong, you end up in the Atlantic."
They landed on the island's golf course, and residents were praised for 'pulling out all the stops' to welcome them.
Evacuation and Quarantine
After a nightmare voyage, passengers heading home from Tenerife were tested for the virus upon boarding their flights to Spain, France, Canada, the Netherlands, the UK, Turkey, Ireland and the US. Another flight is due to leave for Australia today. UK nationals will be quarantined at Arrowe Park Hospital in Wirral, Merseyside, used at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. They will stay for about 45 days in an accommodation block on the hospital site away from public areas.
Spain's health minister described the complex global operation to prevent the spread of the rare Andes strain of this virus as "unprecedented". Involving 23 countries, the plan was meticulously designed for maximum safety and to address the concerns of unhappy locals on Tenerife. They include the president of the Canary Islands, who says he "won't be calm" until all the passengers and crew have left.
Spain's Health Minister Mónica García said: "The risk of contagion for the general population is low. We believe that alarmism, misinformation and confusion are contrary to the basic principles of preserving public health." Strict security was in place before dawn at the port in southern Tenerife. Military police and disaster response teams had set up reception tents. Passengers seen wearing masks aboard the liner were grouped by nationality and ferried into the port.
The head of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said the operation was "going very well". They were evacuated in mini "bubble buses" that included disinfection processes and personal protective equipment in every phase of the transfer.
Hantavirus Outbreak Details
Three people died in the outbreak, including two confirmed to have had hantavirus. Hantavirus is a group of viruses carried by rodents. Most hantaviruses do not pass from person to person, but the Andes strain, identified in a number of MV Hondius passengers, does. The British man who lives on Tristan da Cunha landed there on April 14. He reported feeling unwell on April 28, and developed a fever two days later. He is currently in a stable condition and is in isolation.
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said the "extraordinary operations" to transport the equipment and oxygen to him reflected "our unwavering commitment to the people of our overseas territories and to British nationals, wherever they are". "The safety and well-being of all members of the British family is our number one priority," she added.
Tristan da Cunha, with a population of 221, can only be reached by boat. Average winds often exceed 25 mph, causing difficult conditions for the paratroopers, the MoD said.
Minister for the Armed Forces Al Carns said: "I want to pay a huge tribute to our brave personnel for carrying out their task with the utmost professionalism and composure under pressure."
WHO confirmed that in addition to the six confirmed cases, there are two suspected hantavirus cases, including the British man on Tristan da Cunha. The two British nationals with confirmed virus cases are being treated in the Netherlands and South Africa. No other British nationals who remained on board the Hondius reported symptoms.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said they are being monitored. Around 30 crew members are staying on board before the vessel sets sail for Holland. Meanwhile, two Britons are voluntarily self-isolating at home in the UK. They disembarked the vessel at St Helena on April 24 before the first case of hantavirus was confirmed.
