The cruise ship 'Hondius', which reported fatal cases of hantavirus on board, has arrived at the island of Tenerife. Evacuation of passengers was carried out under heightened security measures — people were taken off in small groups and placed under strict quarantine.

During disembarkation, passengers wore medical masks and protective suits, while crew worked in full biohazard gear. Some were additionally treated with disinfectant solutions before boarding flights.

The first group of 14 Spanish citizens was flown by charter to the 'Gómez Ulla' military hospital in Madrid, where they will undergo mandatory quarantine.

Isolation measures could be lengthy: the incubation period of hantavirus can reach up to nine weeks. This means that passengers, including French and British nationals who have already returned home, will remain under medical observation for a significant period.

All those on board were separated by nationality for phased evacuation. The last to leave the ship will be passengers from Australia, for whom a separate flight has been arranged.

On May 5, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported an outbreak of hantavirus on the 'Hondius' in the Atlantic Ocean. The ship, which departed Argentina on April 1, had 7 confirmed cases, 3 of which were fatal. The deceased include a married couple from the Netherlands and a female passenger from Germany.

Later, the President of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, opposed the central government's decision to accept the cruise ship. He stated that he could not allow the ship to dock at the islands and called Madrid's decision not based on technical criteria.

Source: podrobno.uz