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Hantavirus-hit cruise ship arrives in Tenerife with Spanish passengers to be evacuated first – Europe live
TL;DR
The MV Hondius, affected by hantavirus, has arrived in Tenerife with all passengers asymptomatic. Spanish nationals will be evacuated first, following intensive preparations by health officials.
Key points
- MV Hondius arrived in Tenerife after hantavirus outbreak
- All passengers are asymptomatic
- Spanish nationals will be evacuated first
- Health officials conducted intensive preparations
- First passenger died from hantavirus on board
Mentioned in this story
TenerifeMónica García
MV Hondius
Good morning, and welcome to our Europe live blog. Spanish health officials have said all the passengers on the hantavirus-stricken MV Hondius remain asymptomatic after the vessel arrived in Tenerife on Sunday, almost a month after the first passenger died of the rodent-borne disease on board the ship.
“The anchoring has been a success despite all the difficulties,” the health minister, Mónica García, said after intensive preparations to receive the ship in the port of Granadilla were carried out over recent days.
She confirmed all passengers remain asymptomatic and that the first nationals to be evacuated will be the Spanish ones, according to Spanish newspaper El País.
Spanish health officials boarded the MV Hondius to conduct final checks and begin disembarking passengers. Photograph: ANP/Shutterstock
García said they were undergoing a final medical assessment before their disembarkation and confirmed that all the repatriation flights taking citizens back to their countries will take off by tomorrow.
There were 146 passengers from 20 different nationalities onboard the MV Hondius, where an outbreak has killed three people and caused an international health scare. These countries included the UK, the US, Germany, Canada, the Netherlands, Denmark, the Philippines and Singapore.
Authorities have said the passengers and crew members who will disembark will have no contact with the local population in Tenerife. Health officials continue to stress that the risk of contagion for the general population is low.
In other news around Europe:
- Vladimir Putin has said he thinks the Ukraine war is winding down, adding that he was ready to meet Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a third country only once all conditions for a potential peace agreement were settled.
Q&A
What happened on the MV Hondius cruise ship?
The MV Hondius experienced a hantavirus outbreak, resulting in the death of one passenger, but all remaining passengers are currently asymptomatic.
Why are Spanish passengers being evacuated first from the MV Hondius?
Spanish health officials have prioritized the evacuation of Spanish nationals as part of their response to the hantavirus situation on board.
What measures were taken for the MV Hondius's arrival in Tenerife?
Intensive preparations were conducted by health officials to ensure a safe docking and disembarkation process for the MV Hondius in the port of Granadilla.
