Spain has received the first 14 people from the MV Hondius, where the deadly Andes hantavirus broke out. They all end up in a heavily guarded quarantine in Madrid.
Spain has received 14 citizens evacuated from the cruise ship MV Hondius, which became the focus of the deadly hantavirus. The plane with passengers landed on Sunday at the Torrejon Air Base near Madrid. The evacuees will be quarantined in a military hospital in the capital, where their health will be closely monitored.
- Spain has received fourteen people from the MV Hondius with hantavirus.
- Evacuees in Madrid are being quarantined at a military hospital under surveillance.
- An outbreak of the Andes hantavirus occurred on board the ship Hondius, with three victims.
- The 70-year-old Greek from the ship will undergo a forty-five-day quarantine in Athens without symptoms.
- The evacuation takes place in protective suits, under the strict supervision of the army and guards.
The ship MV Hondius, sailing under the Dutch flag, is currently anchored on the island of Tenerife. A hantavirus infection broke out on board, specifically the Andes strain, which is the only hantavirus transmitted from person to person. The World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed six cases of infection out of eight suspects. Three passengers died tragically – a Dutch couple and a woman from Germany.
The evacuation continues
Meanwhile, Greece announced that one of its citizens, a 70-year-old man on board the ship, would be evacuated on Sunday. After being transferred to Eindhoven airport in the Netherlands, he will be transported to a hospital in Athens, where he will undergo a 45-day quarantine. According to the Greek Ministry of Health, the man is in good health and does not show any symptoms of illness.
The evacuation of the other passengers and crew members of the ship takes place gradually. The last flight, which will ensure the repatriation of most of the nearly 150 people on board, is scheduled for Monday. After the evacuation, the ship will head back to the Netherlands.
Strict security measures
The evacuation takes place under strict hygiene and safety measures. Passengers in protective suits were transferred from the ship to smaller vessels that took them to the port of Granadilla in Tenerife. From there, they continued in a red Spanish army bus, accompanied by a convoy of Civil Guard vehicles, to the airport. Before boarding the plane, the evacuees changed into new protective equipment.
Spanish Health Minister Monica Garcia said that all evacuation steps are coordinated with international health organizations. The aim is to minimize the risk of spreading the disease and ensure the safe return of all affected persons to their home countries.
