TENERIFE, Spain (AP) – The head of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, aimed to alleviate concerns among the residents of the Spanish island of Tenerife as the MV Hondius cruise ship, which is affected by a hantavirus outbreak, is set to arrive for evacuation. Tedros emphasized that the virus is “not another COVID” and reassured the public that the current risk posed by hantavirus remains low.
The Dutch-flagged MV Hondius, carrying over 140 passengers and crew, is en route to Tenerife in Spain's Canary Islands off the western coast of Africa, with arrival expected early Sunday. Alongside Spain’s Health Minister Monica Garcia and Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska, Tedros arrived on the island to oversee the disembarkation of individuals from the ship.
In a statement directed at the people of Tenerife, Tedros acknowledged their concerns, stating, "I know you are worried... The pain of 2020 is still real, and I do not dismiss it for a single moment." He reiterated that the emergency linked to hantavirus is not comparable to the previous COVID-19 pandemic, clarifying that health officials assert the risk is low.
Authorities from WHO, the Spanish government, and the cruise company, Oceanwide Expeditions, confirmed that no individuals aboard the Hondius currently exhibit any symptoms of hantavirus. However, despite the reassurance, some residents of Tenerife expressed their unease about the upcoming evacuation, voicing fears of potential stigma associated with the passengers.
For instance, 69-year-old Simon Vidal commented, “I tell you, I don’t like this very much. Why did they have to bring a boat from another country here? Why not anywhere else?” Others, like 27-year-old Samantha Aguero, acknowledged both their concerns and a sense of empathy towards the ship’s passengers, stating, “We feel a bit unsafe... But we also need to have empathy.”
Garcia detailed plans for a safe disembarkation process, indicating that the ship would anchor offshore and that passengers would be ferried to land in small boats for health screenings. To ensure safety, passengers would only be allowed to take a limited number of personal belongings before being placed in isolation.
As part of the evacuation strategy, evacuation flights are expected to occur on Sunday and Monday. The U.S. and U.K. governments have also arranged to send planes to retrieve their citizens, with Americans slated for quarantine at a facility in Nebraska. Spanish passengers will be placed in a medical facility and quarantined as well. Passengers will simply bring a small bag with essentials, while larger luggage will remain on the vessel.
The ship is set to undergo disinfection after the departure of the remaining crew and the body of a deceased passenger. A medical evacuation plane has been activated in preparation for any potential medical emergencies among the disembarking passengers.
Health officials across various countries are racing to trace and monitor passengers who disembarked from the ship before the outbreak was recognized. As many as two dozen individuals from different nations left without the benefit of contact tracing, prompting a global effort to locate and monitor these individuals for any signs of illness.
This situation remains fluid as health authorities continue to assess and manage the risk involved with the outbreak, emphasizing the importance of vigilance while also striving to mitigate public anxiety regarding the hantavirus. Overall, officials aim to ensure the health and safety of both the residents of Tenerife and the passengers from the MV Hondius.
