The MV Hondius, a luxury cruise ship hit by a deadly hantavirus outbreak, has arrived off the coast of Tenerife in Spain's Canary Islands. The vessel carries nearly 150 passengers and crew from over 20 nations. Three people have died from the virus, including a German woman and a Dutch couple.

Spanish authorities initially refused to allow the ship to dock, citing public safety concerns, but the central government in Madrid overruled them, with Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez calling it a "moral and legal duty." The World Health Organization (WHO) facilitated the operation.

Evacuation plans involve screening passengers, then disembarking them in groups of five via small boats, wearing FFP2 masks. They will be transported in sealed buses to the airport, where charter flights arranged by their home countries will take them into quarantine. Spanish nationals will be flown to Madrid on a military plane.

Several European nations, including Germany, France, Belgium, Ireland, and the Netherlands, have sent evacuation flights. The US and UK have also arranged repatriation. After all passengers and some crew leave, the ship will sail to the Netherlands for disinfection, carrying the body of the deceased German woman.

The WHO stated the risk from the hantavirus "remains low," but the incubation period can last up to eight weeks. Pope Leo XIV praised the people of Tenerife for their hospitality in accepting the ship. The UK conducted a daring parachute operation to deliver medical support to a British national on the remote island of Tristan da Cunha.

Source: www.dw.com