Health authorizes the departure of the cruise ship MV Hondius after completing the repatriations due to the hantavirus outbreak in Canarias

The Minister of Health, Mónica García, confirmed this Sunday that the cruise ship MV Hondius will be able to leave Tenerife “late in the afternoon” on Monday, once the logistical and sanitary operations deployed after the hantavirus outbreak detected on board conclude. The head of the department explained in a press conference that the international repatriation operation has developed “with total normality and safety,” after several days of coordination between health, diplomatic, and airport authorities. The ship will depart for Rotterdam (Netherlands), where it will undergo an integral decontamination and cleaning process.

According to data offered by the Ministerio de Sanidad, a total of 94 people of 19 nationalities have already been evacuated from the ship on different flights organized from Tenerife Sur airport. Among the last passengers to leave the ship were 17 American citizens and one British resident in Estados Unidos. García detailed that “on seven flights there were nationals from eight countries”, while on one of the planes bound for Países Bajos traveled passengers of up to 11 different nationalities. 

Operations in the port will begin this Monday at seven in the morning with the refueling of the ship, followed by the necessary provisioning before authorizing the departure of the MV Hondius. 34 people will still remain on board, as some passengers will be transferred during Monday afternoon on specific flights to Australia and the Netherlands. The Spanish Executive considers that the operation has been successfully carried out despite the logistical and sanitary complexity derived from the international alert generated by the virus.

During her appearance, the minister also answered questions about a Spanish technician who appeared without personal protective equipment (PPE) at the airport after accompanying repatriated passengers. García clarified that “it was planned,” since it was the psychiatrist from the Mental Health Commissioner who only accompanied the Spanish group until boarding and did not subsequently travel with them. The minister insisted that the entire operation was carried out under health safety protocols and took the opportunity to highlight the work of the institutions involved. “We are proud of the success of the operation, proud of a country that has taken charge,” she stated.

For his part, the director-general of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom, recalled that the international recommendation for passengers exposed to hantavirus is to carry out a 42-day quarantine. "We do not impose, if it is not complied with there are risks, but we do not impose but rather recommend," said the head of the international health organization. The WHO considers it fundamental to maintain epidemiological surveillance during the incubation period to detect possible symptoms and avoid new infections associated with the outbreak.

In relation to the cases detected in Spain, Health confirmed positive progress in the monitoring of the women attended in Alicante and Barcelona, both considered close contacts of the passenger who previously died in Johannesburg (South Africa). The minister described as “good news” the second negative PCR result of the patient from Alicante and explained that she will still have to undergo a third test in the next 48 hours before completing the preventive quarantine. Regarding the Barcelona case, she indicated that “also has a negative PCR”, although she will also remain under medical surveillance according to the protocols established by the health authorities.