Twenty-two British passengers and crew from the hantavirus-stricken cruise ship MV Hondius are expected to arrive in Tenerife on Sunday, with arrangements in place to fly them back to the UK the same day. The vessel is currently en route from waters off Cape Verde, subject to weather conditions.
Representatives from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and the Foreign Office will meet the ship upon its arrival. Britons will undergo hantavirus testing before disembarkation. Those who test negative and show no symptoms will be transferred directly to a specially arranged repatriation flight, staffed by medical professionals and equipped with necessary supplies.
Upon return, most Britons are expected to self-isolate at home for 45 days, with the UKHSA arranging alternative accommodation for those unable to do so. They will be prohibited from using public transport. Testing will be conducted during and after the isolation period.
Seven British nationals disembarked at St Helena on 23 April, including one with suspected hantavirus who left at Tristan da Cunha. Two of those have since flown back to the UK and are self-isolating without symptoms. Four remain on St Helena, and another has been contacted in an undisclosed country. The UKHSA is tracing contacts of those who left the ship.
A total of 30 passengers and crew are British nationals, with 22 still aboard. None currently show symptoms. Two British men are receiving treatment for hantavirus in the Netherlands and South Africa, and a third is being cared for on Tristan da Cunha. Nine confirmed or suspected cases have been linked to the ship, with three deaths overall. The UKHSA continues to investigate person-to-person transmission.
