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Tag: Canary Islands

  • WHO Chief Reassures Tenerife Residents as Hantavirus Cruise Ship Nears Canary Islands

    WHO Chief Reassures Tenerife Residents as Hantavirus Cruise Ship Nears Canary Islands

    Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has appealed for calm among residents of Tenerife as a cruise ship linked to a hantavirus outbreak prepares to anchor offshore on Sunday.

    The vessel, the MV Hondius, has been at the center of growing concern after eight confirmed hantavirus cases and three deaths were connected to the outbreak onboard, according to the World Health Organization.

    Local protests intensified over the weekend as residents voiced fears that the arrival of passengers from the ship could damage Tenerife’s tourism-dependent economy and potentially spread the virus. Demonstrators gathered in the streets chanting, “Yes to tourism, no to the virus.”

    Despite the concerns, Tedros insisted the risk to the local population remains low.

    “The risk to you, living your daily life in Tenerife, is low,” the WHO chief said Saturday, emphasizing that the assessment was made under strict international health protocols.

    Tedros explained that nearly 150 passengers and crew from 23 countries have remained stranded at sea for weeks, with many eager to return home after the outbreak.

    Spanish authorities approved the ship’s arrival after the national government overruled objections from some local leaders. Tenerife was selected because of its medical infrastructure and ability to safely coordinate the operation, according to WHO officials.

    The ship is expected to anchor offshore near the port of Granadilla early Sunday. Most passengers and crew members will reportedly be transported ashore in small boats before being transferred directly to waiting repatriation flights using sealed and guarded vehicles.

    Tedros sought to reassure residents that the operation would be tightly controlled.

    “You will not encounter them,” he said. “Your families will not encounter them.”

    Tedros also announced plans to personally travel to Tenerife to observe the repatriation process and support medical teams and port officials handling the operation.

    Maria Van Kerkhove told reporters that health screenings are continuing onboard the ship and that no passengers or crew are currently showing symptoms. Contact tracing efforts are also underway to identify those potentially exposed to confirmed cases.

    Several countries, including the United States, Germany, France, Belgium, Ireland and Netherlands, have dispatched aircraft to evacuate their citizens from Tenerife.

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has also deployed personnel to Tenerife to assist with the evacuation of 17 American passengers. They are expected to be transported to a quarantine facility in Nebraska previously used during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.

    WHO officials said all passengers and crew are expected to undergo active monitoring for 42 days following their last known exposure to a confirmed case.

  • Spain Prepares Emergency Evacuation as Hantavirus Cruise Ship Approaches Canary Islands

    Spain Prepares Emergency Evacuation as Hantavirus Cruise Ship Approaches Canary Islands

    Spanish authorities are preparing a large-scale emergency evacuation operation as the hantavirus-affected cruise ship MV Hondius heads toward the Canary Islands following multiple deaths and growing international concern over the outbreak.

    The Dutch-flagged vessel, carrying more than 140 passengers and crew members, is expected to arrive in Tenerife early Sunday. Spanish officials say strict containment and isolation measures will be enforced during the evacuation process.

    At least three passengers have died from the outbreak, while several others remain ill. Health authorities across multiple countries are now racing to trace passengers who left the ship before hantavirus infections were officially confirmed.

    Spain’s emergency services chief, Virginia Barcones, said all passengers would be moved through completely isolated and secured areas to prevent any public exposure. Travelers are expected to be transported directly from the ship to airports using guarded vehicles before returning to their home countries.

    The United States has agreed to send a plane to evacuate its 17 citizens from the cruise ship, while the United Kingdom is arranging a separate evacuation flight for nearly two dozen British nationals onboard.

    The World Health Organization has stressed that the overall public health risk remains low and urged people not to compare the outbreak to the COVID-19 pandemic.

    WHO spokesperson Christian Lindmeier said hantavirus is not “a new COVID” and emphasized that the virus is generally difficult to spread between humans. Hantavirus is commonly transmitted through exposure to infected rodent droppings, although the Andes strain linked to the outbreak may rarely spread between people.

    Concerns briefly intensified after a KLM flight attendant who had contact with an infected passenger became ill. However, health officials later confirmed she tested negative for the virus, easing fears of wider transmission.

    The outbreak has triggered international contact tracing efforts across Europe, Africa, North America, and the South Atlantic after dozens of passengers from at least 12 countries disembarked the ship before health alerts were issued.

    British authorities confirmed that a third U.K. national is now suspected of being infected with hantavirus after the cruise ship stopped at Tristan da Cunha, a remote British territory in the South Atlantic.

    South African and Dutch health authorities are also tracing individuals who may have come into contact with infected passengers during flights and port stops linked to the voyage.

    Despite growing concern, Spanish officials reassured residents of the Canary Islands that there would be no direct public interaction with evacuated passengers.