Passengers evacuated from the hantavirus-hit cruise ship began flying home Sunday aboard military and government planes after the vessel anchored in the Canary Islands, where travelers were escorted to shore by personnel in full-body protective gear and breathing masks.
Spanish passengers were the first to leave the MV Hondius following its arrival in Tenerife, the largest island in the Spanish archipelago off the West African coast. They were then flown to Madrid and taken to a military hospital. Hours later, a plane that evacuated French passengers landed in Paris, where it was met by emergency vehicles.
Multi-Nation Evacuation Underway
The planes arriving in Tenerife were to fly out passengers from more than 20 countries in an evacuation effort expected to last until Monday.
| Country | Evacuation Status | Quarantine Protocol |
|---|---|---|
| Spain | First evacuated | Military hospital in Madrid |
| France | Completed Sunday | Hospital isolation "until further orders" |
| Netherlands | Completed Sunday | 6 weeks self-quarantine |
| United States | Planned | University of Nebraska facility |
| United Kingdom | Planned | 72 hours hospital + 6 weeks self-isolation |
| Australia | Expected Monday | Final evacuation flight |
| Norway | Ambulance plane sent | High-risk infection transport |
WHO: "This Is Not Another COVID"
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus reiterated that the general public should not be worried about the outbreak.
"We have been repeating the same answer many times," he said. "This is not another COVID. And the risk to the public is low. So they shouldn't be scared, and they shouldn't panic."
Even so, those disembarking and workers at the port of Granadilla in Tenerife wore protective gear during the evacuation process, including:
- Hazardous-materials suits
- Face masks and respirators
- Full-body protective equipment
- Disinfectant spray stations
Video obtained by The Associated Press showed passengers on the tarmac donning similar suits and being sprayed down with disinfectant.
For background on the outbreak, see our detailed breakdown of hantavirus statistics from the MV Hondius.
Passengers Relieved to Be Going Home
"It's been great seeing all the buses coming out and people really happy to be on land again and being repatriated," said Diana Rojas Alvarez, the WHO health operations lead, who is on Tenerife.
Authorities have said the disembarking passengers and crew members will be checked for symptoms and will be forbidden from having any contact with the local population. They were to be taken off the ship only when evacuation flights were ready.
Tedros and Spain's health and interior ministers are supervising the operation in Tenerife.
What Passengers Were Allowed to Take
Passengers and disembarking crew members left behind their luggage and were allowed to take only:
- A small bag with essentials
- A cellphone
- A charger
- Documentation
Some crew, as well as the body of a passenger who died on board, will remain on the ship, which will sail on to Rotterdam, Netherlands, where it will undergo disinfection.
Country-by-Country Monitoring Protocols
The WHO is recommending that passengers' home countries "have active monitoring and follow-up, which means daily health checks, either at home or in a specialized facility," said Maria van Kerkhove, the organization's top epidemiologist.
"We are leaving this up to the countries themselves to actually develop their own policies," she added. "But our recommendations are very clear."
United Kingdom Protocol
UK authorities have said passengers will be hospitalized for 72 hours of quarantine, followed by six weeks of self-isolation.
France Protocol
The French had planned a similar protocol, but after Sunday's flight—when one passenger developed symptoms—the prime minister said the five passengers would be kept in the hospital "until further orders."
Netherlands Protocol
A Dutch evacuation plane touched down Sunday evening in the Netherlands city of Eindhoven, with disembarking passengers wearing masks and carrying belongings in white plastic bags.
| Nationality | Number Aboard Dutch Flight |
|---|---|
| Dutch | 8 |
| Indian | Multiple |
| German | Multiple |
| Argentine | Multiple |
| Belgian | Multiple |
| Greek | Multiple |
| Portuguese | Multiple |
| Ukrainian | Multiple |
| Guatemalan | Multiple |
| Filipino | Multiple |
| Montenegrin | Multiple |
| Total | 26 |
United States Protocol
The acting director of the Centers for Disease Control, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, said Americans would first be flown to the University of Nebraska, which has a federally funded quarantine facility, to assess whether they have been in close contact with any symptomatic people and their risk levels for spreading the virus.
After that, he told CNN's "State of the Union," they will be given the choice of staying in Nebraska or going home, where their conditions would be monitored by state and local health agencies.
He noted that seven Americans who left the cruise have been in the U.S. for roughly two weeks, and they are living across the country.
Learn more about what happens after potential hantavirus exposure in our symptoms guide.
Australia Evacuation Expected Monday
Australia is sending a plane, expected to arrive Monday, to evacuate its people and those from nearby countries, such as New Zealand, and unspecified Asian countries, said Spanish Health Minister Mónica García, who added that the evacuation flight was expected to be the last to leave Tenerife.
Norway sent an ambulance plane to the island with personnel trained to transport patients with high-risk infections, its Directorate for Civil Protection told public broadcaster NRK.
British Medics Parachute onto Remote Territory
In a dramatic development elsewhere, British Army medics parachuted onto the remote South Atlantic territory of Tristan da Cunha, where one of the 221 residents has a suspected case of hantavirus.
The patient was a passenger on the MV Hondius and disembarked last month.
| Tristan da Cunha Facts | Details |
|---|---|
| Population | 221 residents |
| Distance to nearest island | 1,500 miles (2,400 km) to St. Helena |
| Airstrip | None |
| Normal access | 6-day boat voyage from Cape Town |
| Medical team deployed | 6 paratroopers + 2 medical clinicians |
Ship to Continue to Rotterdam
The MV Hondius will sail on to Rotterdam, Netherlands, for full disinfection. The journey takes approximately five days.
| Ship Status | Details |
|---|---|
| Current location | Port of Granadilla, Tenerife |
| Next destination | Rotterdam, Netherlands |
| Journey time | ~5 days |
| Purpose | Full disinfection |
| Remaining aboard | Some crew + body of deceased passenger |
Outbreak Summary
Since the outbreak began, three people have died and five passengers who left the ship earlier are confirmed infected with hantavirus.
The Andes strain detected in the cruise ship outbreak may be able to spread between people in rare cases, unlike most hantavirus strains. Symptoms usually show between one and eight weeks after exposure.
For the latest statistics, visit our outbreak dashboard and global map.
*Reporting by Iain Sullivan in Tenerife and Suman Naishadham in Madrid. Additional reporting from Angela Charlton in Paris, Jill Lawless in London, and Kirsten Grieshaber in Berlin.*
