The president of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, has categorically ruled out that the expedition cruise ship MV Hondius, affected by a hantavirus outbreak and currently anchored off Cape Verde, will call at the islands.
According to what has been pointed out, the decision is supported by the latest information provided by the Government of Spain and by the health criterion: "Right now it is absolutely ruled out that the cruise ship can go to the Canary Islands", he affirmed, underlining that the priority is the immediate medical attention of those affected and the return of the ship to its flag country.
Clavijo has defended a response based on "common sense", consisting of evacuating the infected as soon as possible and then proceeding with the disinfection of the ship in its country of origin, thus avoiding unnecessary risks in other territories.
Along the same lines, the spokesperson for the Canary Islands Government, Alfonso Cabello, has expressed himself, explaining that the agreed-upon decision is that infected passengers will be evacuated from Cape Verde to their countries of origin, while high-risk contacts will be transferred to Germany for quarantine. "If it is not extremely necessary for health reasons, it would not make sense for the ship to call at the Canary Islands," he stated.
WHO-coordinated evacuations
The World Health Organization (WHO) has activated an international device that contemplates the evacuation of three people from the ship: two suspected cases will be transferred to the Netherlands in medicalized aircraft, while a high-risk contact will be referred to Germany for preventive isolation.
The Dutch government has already sent two medicalized planes that could carry out the transfer in the coming hours from Cape Verde.
The Spanish Ministry of Health had previously requested the evacuation of symptomatic cases and considers that it is not necessary for the cruise ship to dock in Canary Islands territory, as there is no high risk of transmission to the population.
147 people on board and low probability of contagion
The MV Hondius transports 147 people of 23 nationalities, including 14 Spanish citizens. Health authorities emphasize that the risk of transmission is low, as hantavirus does not spread easily between people and most passengers do not show symptoms.
The incubation period of the disease can range from one to six weeks and its symptoms include fever, muscle pain, general malaise and, in some cases, respiratory complications.
The situation has activated coordination between several countries and health organizations, while the arrival of the medicalized aircraft to the Cabo Verde area is awaited. The immediate objective is to evacuate those affected and allow the ship to return to its flag country for disinfection and epidemiological evaluation.