The hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius cruise ship has prompted the vessel to depart from Cape Verde heading toward Tenerife. According to Reuters, the World Health Organization has confirmed that the ship will head to a Canary Islands port, where it will anchor but not dock, as confirmed by the Spanish government.
Follow all the latest developments surrounding the health alert unfolding in the Atlantic.
**Evacuated British citizens land in Manchester**
A plane carrying around 20 British citizens who were aboard the cruise ship affected by the hantavirus outbreak landed Sunday night at Manchester Airport, as shown in footage from British broadcaster Sky News. The British passengers will be transferred to a hospital near Liverpool, where they will be examined and placed in quarantine for up to 72 hours. Another 22 British nationals had been evacuated earlier from the Hondius, but 20 returned to the UK on this flight, according to the PA news agency, which noted that two dual nationals were to travel to other destinations. All will undergo screening tests. If any of them fall ill after arrival, they will be “quickly moved to another facility,” regional NHS officials said on Saturday.
**Minister downplays image of psychiatrist leaving bus without protection**
Spanish Health Minister Mónica García addressed images showing a psychiatrist from the ministry stepping off one of the buses that transported Spanish citizens. “He is a technician from the Ministry of Health who was scheduled to accompany the Spanish passengers. When he arrived at the airport, he was going to remove all the protective measures he had worn inside the bus. From that point, the PPE and protective measures were left at the airport’s auxiliary command post. Everything was planned and went smoothly,” García said.
**MV Hondius to be resupplied Monday before completing disembarkation**
On Monday morning, refueling and resupply operations for the MV Hondius are scheduled before the passenger evacuation is completed. In the afternoon, the last remaining passengers will disembark: six destined for Australia and 23 for the Netherlands. About 30 crew members will remain on board to sail the cruise ship back to the Netherlands.
**García calls for waiting on new PCR results in Barcelona and Alicante cases**
Health Minister Mónica García stated that it is necessary to wait for new PCR tests in the cases of the women from Barcelona and Alicante. In the first case, the woman tested negative in an initial test, but the minister said we must wait for a repeat test. In the Alicante case, García noted it is a different situation since the woman has shown symptoms. Despite testing negative a second time, the minister said a third PCR test will be needed.
**García: “The Spanish passengers are well”**
“The Spanish passengers arrived safely at Gómez Ulla Hospital. We have been in contact with them, and they are doing well. They were eager to be here, to be welcomed, and for their privacy to be respected,” said Health Minister Mónica García regarding the 14 Spanish citizens who were transferred to the Madrid hospital.
