A cruise ship infected with the Hanta virus arrives in Tenerife in Spain's Canary Islands
A cruise ship infected with the Hanta virus arrives in Tenerife
Written by: Mohammed Omran
The cruise ship MV Hondios arrived off the coast of Tenerife in Spain's Canary Islands, following an outbreak of Hantavirus On board, which prompted an urgent evacuation of passengers and some crew members under the supervision of the Spanish authorities and the World Health Organization.
A cruise ship infected with the Hanta virus arrives in Tenerife in Spain's Canary Islands
According to the procedures followed, the ship will not dock at the port, but will remain anchored in the water, and the passengers will be transported by small boats to the shore, where they will undergo thorough medical examinations to ensure that they are free of symptoms before completing travel arrangements to their final destinations.
Officials said the cruise ship that was the epicenter of the Hanta virus outbreak has arrived off Tenerife in Spain's Canary Islands, where passengers and some crew members will begin disembarking on Sunday.
Spanish authorities, the World Health Organization and the cruise company Oceanwide Expeditions announced that none of the more than 140 passengers on board the MV Hondius had shown symptoms of the virus. .
Three people have died since the outbreak began, and five passengers who left the ship have been infected with the Hantavirus, which can cause a serious, life-threatening illness.
Spanish Health Minister Monica Garcia confirmed that "the whole process is proceeding normally.".
Spanish authorities and the World Health Organization said authorities aimed to complete evacuation flights between Sunday and Monday.
The ship includes more than 20 different nationalities, and the World Health Organization, Spanish authorities and the cruise company Oceanwide Expedition are coordinating the disembarkation of passengers and some crew members on land, where the Director-General of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, along with the Spanish Ministers of Health and Interior, are scheduled to oversee the operation in Tenerife, the largest of the Spanish Canary Islands off the coast of West Africa.
Authorities stated that passengers and crew members disembarking from the ship would have no contact with local residents.
