Passengers are disembarking a cruise ship linked to hantavirus in Spain
發佈日期: 2026-05-10 21:46
TVB News
In the early hours of Sunday, a Dutch-flagged cruise ship at the centre of hantavirus outbreak reached a port in Tenerife, part of Spain's Canary Islands, where its passengers begin disembarking and are expected to return home.
Local residents on the island have expressed concern although the World Health Organization reassured the risk to the public remains "low."
Health officials have started final checks and disembarkment of luxury cruise ship MV Hondius anchored near the port of Granadilla in Tenerife.
Three people have died from hantavirus and five others were confirmed infected since the outbreak following the vessel's departure from Cape Verde.
There are currently 147 passengers and crew of over 20 different nationalities on board. None of them is displaying symptoms of the virus, yet they will still be tested by Spanish authorities before being ferried off in small boats.
Guardia Civil tents and personnel were waiting to assist the evacuation on Sunday morning.
The 14 Spaniards are expected to be transferred into sealed-off buses first to the local airport and then fly to Madrid on a government plane, while other passengers will board planes heading to their respective countries.
Officials underscored they will have no contact with members of the public.
Some crew, as well as the body of a passenger who died on board, are slated to remain on the ship which will sail to the Netherlands and undergo disinfection.
Upon his arrival on the Spanish island on Saturday, director-general of the World Health Organization Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus addressed in a message to the people of Tenerife that concern for the hantavirus outbreak is "legitimate" because the trauma of epidemic lingers, but the situation is "much better now."
He said: "This disease is not COVID, and we have said it many times. And when we say this, we don't take it lightly. We just landed now, we came straight here to check the preparations in the port. And I know there will be many operation flights. We estimate that there could be around six for EU-related and also around four for non-EU."
According to the WHO, authorities aim to complete all the evacuation flights on Sunday and Monday.
Health officials across four continents are racing to track down passengers who disembarked before the deadly outbreak was detected, and others that may came in contact with them.
In Tenerife's southern town of San Isidro, the arrival of the virus-hit ship was the topic of the day for many locals as they voiced a mix of resistance and empathy.
A 69-year-old man noted while it would not dock, only anchor at the port, authorities still need to take the people out. "Why did they have to bring a boat from another country here?" he asked. "Why not anywhere else?"
Some others conveyed a sense of unsafety and admitted the community doesn't feel there are 100 percent security measures in place, while highlighting the need to put themselves in the passengers' place.
A resident said, "They are also people...If it were our family, they would also ask for help."
