Twenty-two passengers from the MV Hondius cruise ship, evacuated due to a hantavirus outbreak, are now isolating in self-contained flats in Merseyside after being repatriated from Tenerife. A chartered Titan Airways flight brought them to Manchester airport on Sunday evening.
The UK's initial Covid quarantine site at Arrowe Park hospital in Wirral is housing 20 British passengers, one German national who is a UK resident, and one Japanese passenger. All were tested for hantavirus before boarding the flight. The Japanese passenger is isolating in line with UK Health Security Agency guidance.
According to the World Health Organization, eight people from the ship have fallen ill, with six confirmed to have contracted the virus. Three people have died: a Dutch couple and a German national. The US Department of Health and Human Services reported one American tested positive for the Andes strain, while a French passenger also tested positive and their health is deteriorating.
Strict infection control measures were in place during the flight, with all individuals wearing personal protective equipment. Passengers will receive clinical assessments and testing within 72 hours at the isolation facility, which has self-contained flats with bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens, and lounges.
Janelle Holmes, chief executive of Wirral university teaching hospital NHS foundation trust, said no passengers are symptomatic and the risk to the public is low. If symptoms develop, passengers will be transferred to Royal Liverpool university hospital. Public health specialists will assess whether passengers can isolate at home after the initial period.
Those returning to the UK will self-isolate for 45 days and cannot use public transport. Daily contact with UKHSA health protection teams will ensure their wellbeing. Public health minister Sharon Hodgson stated that with no cases among the passengers and stringent measures, the risk to the public remains extremely low.
