Tenerife: The evacuation operation of passengers and crew from the MV Hondius cruise ship, which was found to be infected with the Hantavirus, is nearing completion. So far, 94 passengers and crew members from 19 nationalities have been gradually repatriated.
According to Thai News Agency, Spain's Health Minister revealed the latest information stating that as of the end of Sunday, 94 passengers and crew members from 19 nationalities, out of a total of 149 on the MV Hondius cruise ship facing the Andean Hantavirus outbreak, had been evacuated and sent on chartered flights from Tenerife in the Canary Islands back to their home countries. These included passengers from the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, France, the United States, and Turkey.
Although officials initially stated that those on the ship were asymptomatic, it has now been discovered that at least one of the five French passengers evacuated from the cruise ship has begun showing symptoms during their return flight to Paris. As a result, all five French citizens on that flight were immediately isolated upon their arrival at Le Bourget airport on Sunday for public safety reasons. They were all sent to a hospital in Paris for health assessments and thorough testing, and will be monitored for 72 hours before being sent home to continue self-isolation for a further 45 days.
Passengers from Australia, New Zealand, and some Asian countries were the last group scheduled to depart Tenerife on Monday local time due to flight delays. After the evacuation of all passengers is complete, the MV Hondius, with its final crew, will head to Rotterdam, Netherlands for a thorough disinfection and cleaning. The journey is expected to take approximately five days.
This operation was described as "unprecedented," involving the use of protective suits against hazardous materials and disinfection measures on the airport runway. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that travelers returning to their countries of origin undergo quarantine and symptom monitoring for at least 42-45 days, as the Hantavirus has a maximum incubation period of up to 9 weeks.