Around 22 British passengers and crew members aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship are scheduled to dock in Tenerife on Sunday before being flown back to the UK on a dedicated repatriation flight. The vessel has been affected by a hantavirus outbreak, prompting urgent action from UK authorities.
Arrangements for Return
Representatives from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and the Foreign Office will meet the ship when it arrives in the Canary Islands. All individuals on board will be tested for hantavirus prior to disembarkation. Those who test negative and show no symptoms will be transferred directly to a repatriation flight staffed by medical professionals, equipped with medicines and supplies in case anyone becomes unwell during the journey.
Self-Isolation Measures
Most returning Britons are expected to self-isolate at home, though UKHSA is making provisions for alternative accommodation for those unable to do so. Returning passengers are prohibited from using public transport to travel to their homes. They will remain in self-isolation for 45 days and undergo self-testing throughout that period, with further tests conducted after isolation ends.
Current Situation on Board
The ship remains on course to dock in Tenerife on Sunday, subject to weather conditions. Two British nationals are currently receiving treatment for hantavirus in the Netherlands and Johannesburg, South Africa, while a third British man displaying symptoms is being cared for on Tristan da Cunha. The Foreign Office confirmed a total of 30 British nationals were aboard, with 22 remaining on the vessel.
Previous Disembarkations
Seven British nationals disembarked at St Helena on April 23, with the suspected hantavirus case leaving at Tristan da Cunha. Two Britons who left at St Helena have returned to the UK and are self-isolating without symptoms. Four British nationals remain on St Helena, and another is in an undisclosed country. UKHSA is actively tracing contacts.
Government and Health Agency Response
A joint Foreign Office and UKHSA team has been deployed to Tenerife. In a statement on Friday, UKHSA said: "UK Government staff will be on the ground ready to support the British nationals disembarking. British passengers and ship crew not displaying any symptoms of hantavirus will be escorted by UK Government staff to an airport and given free passage back to the UK." The statement added that the flight operates under strict infection control measures, with public health specialists on board.
Contact Tracing and Cases
Nine confirmed cases of hantavirus have been linked to the cruise ship, including two British men, with an additional suspected case. Five cases are confirmed, four suspected. Approximately 30 people disembarked at St Helena, including a Dutch woman who later died. Three people have died in total. The outbreak has been traced to a birdwatching trip in Argentina attended by two passengers.
Expert Opinion
Professor Sir Peter Horby, director of the pandemic sciences institute at the University of Oxford, said: "I believe the UKHSA, Foreign Office and NHS are taking all the right and necessary measures to protect the UK citizens involved in this challenging incident and to protect the broader UK population. Repatriation and isolation is the right thing to do, morally and scientifically."
