The cruise ship MV Hondius, affected by a hantavirus outbreak, has begun its journey to the Canary Islands, with an estimated duration of three days and 12 hours, as informed to Demócrata by sources from the Ministry of Health.
The ship is heading to Granadilla de Abona (Tenerife), where a health and logistical operation is planned to manage the arrival of passengers and crew in safe conditions next Saturday at noon. The Ministry of Health maintains continuous monitoring of the situation on board, in coordination with European and international authorities, given the evolution of the outbreak.
The evacuation of the cruise ship, scheduled for Monday, May 11
The Ministry of the Interior has reported that the evacuation of the passengers of the cruise ship affected by hantavirus cases will begin, foreseeably, on Monday, May 11, within an operation coordinated between different departments of the Government and European institutions.
According to the planned schedule, the Ministry of Defense will be in charge of the transfer of Spanish passengers to the Central Defense Hospital Gómez Ulla, in Madrid, where they will undergo monitoring and health control.
In the case of European Union citizens, each Member State will be offered the possibility to organize the repatriation of its nationals, although if any country could not assume it, the European Commission would take charge of coordinating the transfer.
For passengers arriving from third countries, a specific meeting with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation is planned to specify the actions to be taken. In the meantime, all passengers will remain on board the ship until the arrival of the corresponding evacuation flights.