The leader of the World Health Organization (WHO) delivered a direct communication to the residents of Tenerife on Saturday, ensuring them that the hantavirus-affected cruise ship approaching the Spanish island will not pose a threat. The Dutch-flagged MV Hondius, carrying over 140 individuals, is en route to the Canary Islands near West Africa and is expected to reach Tenerife on Sunday at approximately 5:30 a.m. local time, with passengers and some crew members disembarking around 8 a.m.
WHO’s director general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has arrived in Spain and will be overseeing the safe disembarkation process in Tenerife alongside senior government officials. He confirmed that there are no new cases of hantavirus symptoms among individuals on the ship, as conveyed by the ship’s captain and a WHO colleague.
Despite concerns from some Tenerife residents about the virus spreading, WHO emphasized that the current risk of hantavirus transmission remains low. The organization compared it to the COVID-19 pandemic, stating that it does not pose a similar level of threat. Since the hantavirus outbreak, three fatalities have occurred, and five passengers who left the ship were found to be infected with the virus.
Spanish Health Minister Mónica Garcia ensured that safety protocols would be strictly followed during the disembarkation process in Tenerife, with passengers and crew being checked for symptoms before leaving the ship. Evacuation flights are scheduled to transport individuals off the island, with the U.S. and the U.K. also planning to evacuate their citizens from the cruise ship. Spanish passengers will be quarantined upon arrival, while crew members and a deceased passenger will continue on the ship to the Netherlands for disinfection.
