Once in the Spanish port, the crew and passengers “will be properly examined, will receive the necessary care and will be transferred to their respective countries”
Spain will receive the cruise ship affected by a hantavirus outbreak in the Canary Islands within 3 to 4 days, the Spanish Ministry of Health announced this Monday, specifying that “the exact port of arrival has not yet been determined”.
The Spanish Ministry of Health said, in a statement, that details of the protocol will be released as soon as they are defined by the WHO and the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).
Later it will also release “timely updates” on the implementation of the protocol, which it accepted “in accordance with international law and in the spirit of humanitarianism”.
The ECDC is “carrying out a thorough inspection of the ship to determine which people need to be urgently removed from Cape Verde. The rest will proceed to the Canary Islands, where they are expected to arrive in three or four days. The specific port has not yet been defined,” explained the Ministry of Health.
Once in the Spanish port, the crew and passengers “will be properly examined, will receive the necessary care and will be transferred to their respective countries”.
“Both medical care and transfers will be carried out in special spaces and transport, specifically prepared for this situation, avoiding any contact with the local population and guaranteeing the safety of health professionals at all times”, he also guaranteed.
According to the Spanish Government, the WHO explained that Cape Verde cannot carry out this operation and that the Canaries are “the closest location with the necessary capabilities”.
“Spain has a moral and legal obligation to provide assistance to these people, including several Spanish citizens,” added the government, announcing that it had accepted a formal request from the government of the Netherlands to receive the doctor from the MV Hondius, who is in serious condition and will be transported today to the Canary Islands on a hospital plane.
The WHO on Sunday reported three deaths linked to a possible outbreak of hantavirus, which can cause acute respiratory syndrome, on board the ship.
The ship, with 149 people (88 passengers) of 23 nationalities, was traveling between Ushuaia, Argentina, where it left on March 20, and the Canary Islands, with stops in the South Atlantic for wildlife observation tourism.
According to the WHO, reports of illness on board were received between April 6 and 28, mainly fever and gastrointestinal symptoms, with rapid progression to pneumonia, acute respiratory syndrome and shock.
The WHO currently assesses the risk to the global population from this outbreak as low and says it will continue to monitor the epidemiological situation and update the risk assessment.
