Passengers are being evacuated from the MV Hondius cruise ship this morning following a hantavirus outbreak, as the vessel docked in Tenerife. British nationals on board are preparing to be flown back to the UK to isolate at the country's initial Covid quarantine facility.
Evacuation and Repatriation Process
The MV Hondius arrived in Tenerife on Sunday morning, with Spanish authorities commencing evacuations of the vessel by nationality. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) confirmed that British passengers will be transferred to an isolation facility at Arrowe Park Hospital on the Wirral, Merseyside, following repatriation to the UK via a chartered flight. Officials from the UKHSA and Foreign Office met the MV Hondius upon its arrival, and British passengers were tested for hantavirus prior to disembarking.
Those who test negative and show no symptoms will be taken directly to a chartered repatriation flight, staffed by medical professionals and equipped with personal protective equipment, including face masks.
WHO and UK Response
In a Sunday morning social media post, World Health Organisation (WHO) director-general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated: "The disembarkment of the first group of MV Hondius passengers has started. WHO experts on the ground are working with the Spanish Health Ministry on the epidemiological assessment of the passengers and coordinating charter flights with the Interior Ministry."
Upon returning to the UK, passengers will be accommodated in a separate block at the Arrowe Park site, away from the hospital's public areas, where they will undergo clinical assessments and testing as a precautionary measure. The hospital, which served as the UK's original Covid quarantine facility, saw blue tarpaulin fences erected around accommodation blocks on Sunday morning.
Isolation and Public Safety
Emergency services across the North West of England indicated that passengers were expected to remain in the "managed setting" for up to 72 hours. They confirmed that the NHS Trust and hospital is "operating as normal" with no risk to patients, visitors or staff, adding that "people should continue to come forward for care as usual".
Following their period of isolation, public health specialists will determine whether passengers are able to isolate at home or at another suitable location, depending on their living circumstances. British nationals returning to the UK will be required to self-isolate for 45 days and will be prohibited from using public transport to travel to their homes.
Confirmed Cases and Global Response
The WHO confirmed on Saturday that there were no symptomatic passengers aboard the MV Hondius, while the UKHSA stated that the risk to the general public "remains very low". The UN health agency reported six confirmed hantavirus cases linked to the MV Hondius, with four patients currently receiving hospital treatment. It confirmed that eight cases in total, including three fatalities, had been recorded – with one previously suspected case being reclassified following a negative hantavirus test.
The UKHSA stated that three British citizens are amongst the eight cases – two involving confirmed hantavirus and another one being suspected. The two confirmed British cases are receiving treatment in hospital in South Africa and the Netherlands, while the third British citizen with a suspected case is receiving support on the British overseas territory of Tristan da Cunha where they reside.
Military Assistance
Six paratroopers, an RAF consultant and Army nurse from 16 Air Assault Brigade were parachuted onto the South Atlantic island, while oxygen supplies and medical aid was also dropped on Tristan da Cunha, which is typically only accessible by boat. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) stated it was the first time medical personnel had been parachuted in to deliver humanitarian support.
