Evacuations completed on cruise ship hit by hantavirus outbreak

The final passengers and some crew members on the Dutch-flagged cruise ship MV Hondius, where hantavirus cases were reported, have disembarked in Tenerife, in Spain's Canary Islands.

The final evacuation group of 28 people, consisting of passengers and crew, disembarked from the ship docked at the Port of Granadilla in Tenerife and were transferred to the airport to travel to the Netherlands.

The final group of six people to leave the ship included passengers who were initially scheduled to fly to Australia but were later transferred to a flight bound for the Netherlands. After the evacuation process was completed, the ship departed from the port and set sail for the Netherlands to be disinfected. In this context, the 26 crew members remaining on board continued their journey toward the Dutch city of Rotterdam.

Spanish Health Minister Monica Garcia stated that the ship docked at the port for only one hour upon the recommendation of the Spanish Maritime Administration due to strong winds in the port area and adverse sea conditions. Stating that this was done for the safety of the passengers and staff, Garcia expressed that the evacuation operation was "carried out under completely safe conditions."

Following the departure of all evacuated individuals from Tenerife, Spanish authorities initiated a comprehensive disinfection process in the areas where the evacuees had been located.

Ship captain publishes thank-you message

As the evacuation process neared its end, the ship's captain, Jan Dobrogowski, released a video message of thanks. Captain Dobrogowski stated, "Under these circumstances, I could not imagine sailing with a better group of people, both in terms of passengers and crew."

WHO Director-General Ghebreyesus: "Passengers experienced psychological collapse"

World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement to a television channel that the passengers on the ship had experienced a psychological collapse. Stating that the decision not to isolate the passengers on the ship was the "best option," Ghebreyesus said, "Some said the passengers could be isolated on the ship, but I think that would be cruel."

The WHO Director-General stated, "As you can imagine, some passengers experienced psychological collapses. Staying in a small space for weeks is very difficult. You can imagine how this affected them mentally."

In a statement to the press after the ship departed from the port in Tenerife, Ghebreyesus said that this was not a new Covid outbreak and that the risk was low.