Twenty British passengers evacuated from a cruise ship affected by a hantavirus outbreak have arrived in the United Kingdom following their repatriation from Tenerife. A chartered Titan Airways flight transported the group from the Canary Islands, touching down at Manchester Airport on Sunday evening.
Isolation at Arrowe Park
The passengers, who were tested for hantavirus before boarding the flight, will be taken to isolate at the UK's initial Covid quarantine site at Arrowe Park Hospital on the Wirral in Merseyside. Emergency services in the North West confirmed that the individuals will be housed and provided with clothing at this managed setting for up to 72 hours. The Arrowe Park facility features six storeys of self-contained flats, each with its own bedroom, en-suite bathroom, kitchen, and lounge.
Janelle Holmes, chief executive of Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, stated that Arrowe Park would conduct welfare checks on each individual. She emphasised that no one being transferred has shown any symptoms and that there is no impact on hospital services, which continue to operate normally. If passengers develop symptoms, they will be transferred to Royal Liverpool University Hospital, home to the regional Tropical and Infectious Diseases Unit.
Low Risk to Public
Ms Holmes noted that hantavirus is very different from Covid-19 and poses a low risk to the general public. She explained that transmission requires very close contact, unlike Covid or flu. After the initial isolation period, public health specialists will assess whether passengers can continue isolating at home or another suitable location based on their living arrangements. Britons returning to the UK must self-isolate for 45 days and are prohibited from using public transport to reach their homes.
Government Coordination
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper expressed gratitude on social media to all those who worked to bring passengers from the MV Hondius back to the UK via a special flight with public health protections. She noted that the UK collaborated with Spain, South Africa, the Netherlands, and the World Health Organisation to coordinate safe returns.
The MV Hondius arrived in Tenerife on Sunday morning, with Spanish authorities evacuating passengers by nationality and ferrying them to port via small boats. Some British passengers, clad in blue PPE, waved and gave thumbs up as they were bussed from the port at Granadilla de Abona to Tenerife South Airport. The WHO aims to complete the ship's evacuation, excluding 30 crew members remaining on board, by 7pm on Monday.
Passenger Restrictions
Passengers were instructed to leave their luggage on the ship and were only permitted to take a small bag containing essential items such as their phone and passport. The Spanish health ministry reported that 94 people of 19 nationalities had been taken off the cruise ship as of Sunday.
One of five French passengers displayed symptoms during their repatriation flight, according to French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu. He stated that all five were immediately placed in strict isolation until further notice, where they will receive medical care and undergo further testing.
Remaining Crew and Disinfection
Approximately 30 crew members and a nurse from the Netherlands, along with the body of a passenger who died on board, will remain on the ship. The vessel will sail to Rotterdam in the Netherlands for disinfection, as confirmed by the WHO.
The WHO reported on Saturday that there had been six confirmed hantavirus cases linked to the MV Hondius, with four patients hospitalised. Additionally, eight cases, including three deaths, had been reported, with one previous suspected case reclassified after testing negative for hantavirus. The UK Health Security Agency indicated that three British nationals are among the eight cases: two confirmed hantavirus infections and one suspected case.
Support for British Nationals
The two confirmed British cases are receiving treatment in hospitals in South Africa and the Netherlands, while the third British national with a suspected case is being supported on the British overseas territory of Tristan da Cunha, where they reside. Six paratroopers, an RAF consultant, and an Army nurse from 16 Air Assault Brigade were parachuted onto the South Atlantic island, along with oxygen supplies and medical aid. The Ministry of Defence noted that this was the first time medical personnel had been parachuted in to provide humanitarian support on the island, which is normally only accessible by boat.
