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Tag: Granadilla port

  • 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.

  • Tenerife Residents React With Anger and Anxiety as Hantavirus Cruise Ship Nears Canary Islands

    Tenerife Residents React With Anger and Anxiety as Hantavirus Cruise Ship Nears Canary Islands

    Tensions are rising in Tenerife as the hantavirus-affected cruise ship MV Hondius approaches the Spanish island, sparking protests, public anxiety, and political controversy.

    The vessel, which experienced a hantavirus outbreak during its voyage, is expected to arrive this weekend after Spanish authorities agreed with the World Health Organization to allow passengers to disembark under strict health protocols.

    Concerns intensified Friday when dock workers gathered outside the Canary Islands parliament building in Santa Cruz to protest the ship’s arrival. Demonstrators blew whistles, sounded vuvuzelas, and carried banners demanding stronger health protections and clearer communication from authorities.

    Union representative Joana Batista said port workers were worried about being exposed to potential health risks without adequate safety measures or proper information.

    Some workers have even threatened to block the ship from arriving unless authorities guarantee stricter precautions for those involved in handling passengers and operations at the port.

    The controversy has also exposed wider frustrations among some Canary Islanders, with residents linking the issue to broader concerns about migration pressures and how the islands often become focal points for international humanitarian and public health crises.

    Nutritionist María de la Luz Sedeño criticized Spain’s central government for approving the ship’s arrival despite objections from Fernando Clavijo, arguing that local residents were not being properly consulted.

    Spanish authorities have attempted to calm fears by outlining detailed containment plans. Officials said MV Hondius will remain offshore rather than docking directly in Tenerife. Passengers will instead be ferried to the industrial port of Granadilla, located away from residential communities.

    According to Spain’s civil protection agency, passengers will be rapidly transported for repatriation, while the 14 Spanish nationals onboard will be flown to Madrid for quarantine procedures.

    Virginia Barcones, head of Spain’s civil protection agency, insisted that local residents would be “absolutely and completely protected” throughout the operation.

    The situation has revived memories of the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic for many islanders. Tenerife and nearby La Gomera were among the first Spanish territories impacted during the outbreak in 2020, including the quarantine of hundreds of hotel guests after Spain’s first confirmed case was identified in the Canary Islands.

    Despite the fears, some residents expressed cautious confidence in local authorities and healthcare systems, saying the islands have experience managing international emergencies.

    The arrival of MV Hondius has also become a political flashpoint, with the far-right Vox party criticizing the government’s handling of the situation and comparing it to migration policies affecting the Canary Islands.

    Health officials and the WHO continue stressing that hantavirus is not comparable to COVID-19 and that the risk of widespread transmission remains low.