Hantavirus cruise ship arrives in Canary Islands ahead of evacuation flights | News World

A luxury cruise ship on the centre of a deadly rat-virus outbreak has arrived within the Canary Islands to take stranded passengers home.

The MV Hondius reached the port of Granadilla de Abona in Tenerife this morning, however it is just not permitted to dock on the shore.

A complete of 146 people – including 22 Brits – have been trapped on the doomed liner for weeks after three passengers died from confirmed and suspected hantavirus.

All of the crew and guests will likely be tested by Spanish health authorities on board before being led to sealed-off buses on land.

They may then take a 10-minute drive to the island’s most important airport, where they may board planes heading to their respective countries.

The British nationals are all as a consequence of be taken to Arrowe Park Hospital in Wirral, Merseyside, which was used as a quarantine site initially of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.

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Army parachuted into distant Atlantic Island to assist infected Brit

A tandem parachute jump with the ICU Nurse and a paratrooper from 16 Air Assult on to Saint Helena (Picture: Georgia Callaway/MoD/Crown Copyright/PA Wire)

A daring parachute drop has taken place on Saint Helena – Britian’s most distant overseas territory – to get medical support to the British national who is believed to have contracted hantavirus.

A specialist army team parachuted onto the island, which has no airstrip, with medical personnel and supplies.

It’s the primary time the UK military has inserted medical personnel to supply humanitarian support via a parachute jump, the Ministry of Defence said.

Disembarked Brits will isolate for six weeks once they’ve returned home

Mandatory Credit: Photo by ANP/Shutterstock (16868215ae) GRANADILLA DE ABONA - Medical personnel in the port of Granadilla. The Dutch cruise ship M/V Hondius is arriving in Tenerife. Six people on board the cruise ship have been infected with the hantavirus so far. A total of eight suspected cases have been reported, including three deaths. Cruise Ship Hondius Arrives at Tenerife - 10 May 2026
Medical crew are preparing to take MV Hondius guests off the boat (Picture: ANP/Shutterstock)

British passengers and crew may have to isolate for six weeks once they return home to the UK.

The UK Health Security Agency has unveiled how they may handle the 22 British nationals as a consequence of leave MV Hondius.

Once they land within the country, they will likely be escorted onto dedicated transport and transferred to an isolation facility at Arrowe Park Hospital in Merseyside.

From there, they will likely be tested again for the virus and their living arrangements will likely be assessed to find out whether or not they must isolate from home or the hospital.

All crew and passengers will then be asked to isolate for as much as 45 days while they’re monitored and tested.

Brits will likely be amongst last to go away doomed ship

Spain’s health minister has announced the running order of nationalities disembarking MV Hondius to be taken home.

 running order of the nationalities disembarking the ship:

  • Spain 
  • The Netherlands (flight may also take passengers from Germany, Belgium and Greece)
  • Turkey 
  • ​France
  • UK​
  • US
  • Australia

Spanish health officials testing passengers before they disembark

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Morning, welcome to Metro’s live blog following the developments live as MV Hondius arrives within the Canary Islands.

Health officials have arrived on board the doomed liner to ascertain that every one passengers and crew are still asymptomatic.

In the event that they are, they will likely be taken off the boat in groups to be driven to the airport and brought home.

Live coverage ends for today

We’re wrapping up our live coverage for today, but please follow along tomorrow as MV Hondius is about to reach to Tenerife.

What’s going to occur when MV Hondius arrives?

The hantavirus cruise ship MV Hondius’s arrival on Tenerife will likely be handled by Spanish health officials.

  • The ship will stay anchored within the harbour basin, with a tugboat
  • Each passenger will likely be medically evaluated before they disembark to ensure that they should not showing symptoms
  • Unloading of the people will likely be handled using small boats and at stages
  • Spanish residents are set to get off first
  • Everyone involved will wear masks
  • The body of the deceased passenger will proceed on to the Netherlands

Merseyside hospital ‘set to welcome Britons on cruise’

A hospital in Merseyside has been named as a site where British passengers on the hantavirus cruise will likely be taken to isolate, in line with Sky News.

The people flown in from MV Hondius to the UK will likely be taken to Arrowe Park on the Wirral, Merseyside.

The hospital is reportedly on standby to welcome ‘the guests on Sunday, May 10.’

Janelle Holmes, the chief executive for Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, said in a letter: ‘We have now been asked by NHS England and the UK Health Security Agency to accommodate the guests, recognising how quickly and positively we responded to and supported the repatriation of British nationals from Wuhan and the Diamond Princess prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.’

First victim of hantavirus outbreak named

Leo Schilperoord (supposedly dutch birdwatcher has died after contracting hantavirus) /TAKEN W/O PERMISSION PLEASE LEGAL https://www.facebook.com/leo.schilperoord.1/
(Picture: Leo Schilperoord/Facebook)

The primary passenger to die of hantavirus on MV Hondius has been named as ornithologist Leo Schilperoord.

The 70-year-old had boarded the ship together with his wife Miriam after they visited a landfill in Argentina, where they’re believed to have caught the virus.

He was the primary person to die, with Miriam dying just a few days later attempting to board a flight back home to the Netherlands from South Africa.

The couple were on a five-month trip in South America, and travelled to the landfill site because it is home to a rare species of Patagonian birds, including the White-bellied Seedsnipe.

Two hospitalised in Spain after hantavirus contact

Two people in Spain are actually isolating after coming into contact with hantavirus.

One person is being treated in a hospital in Barcelona after coming into contact with the virus on a flight.

A second person is suffering with symptoms and is self-isolating in a hospital in Alicante.

European countries will send evacuation planes

Germany, France, Belgium, Ireland and the Netherlands announced they may evacuate nationals from the cruise ship when it docks.

The EU is planning to send two further planes for remaining European nationals, in line with Spain’s interior ministry.

The UK and US have confirmed planes and contingency plans were being arranged for non-EU residents whose countries couldn’t send planes, Reuters reports.

Fernando Grande-Marlaska from the ministry said passengers will likely be allowed to disembark once their evacuation plane is prepared to go away.

MV Hondius will dock early tomorrow morning

The Spanish government has said hantavirus-hit MV Hondius will dock in Tenerife between 4am and 6am tomorrow.

Spanish residents will disembark from the vessel first.

Among the crew will remain on board and travel to the Netherlands with the body of a one who died on May 2.

More plane passengers test negative for virus

A ‌Danish passenger ​who flew on the identical flight as someone who contracted hantavirus has tested negative.

They flew from ‌Johannesburg to Amsterdam on a plane ⁠on which ​an infected ​person ​also travelled, ⁠the ⁠SSI authority said last night.

A flight attendant also tested negative for the virus.

US evacuating 17 residents from hantavirus cruise ship

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The US has shared its plan for medically repatriating 17 people on board MV Hondius.

Once the ship arrives within the Canary Islands, a US government medical flight will take passengers to Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha, Nebraska.

They may then be transported to the National Quarantine Center on the University of Nebraska.

Donald Trump said the virus ‘appears to be okay’, adding ‘it is just not easy to pass on’.

He added: ‘We hope that’s true.’

Variety of confirmed hantavirus cases rises to 6

The variety of confirmed cases of hantavirus has risen from five to 6, the World Health Organisation has said.

Eight people in total have fallen sick, including three who’ve died.

There are actually six confirmed cases with two suspected cases.

4 patients remain in hospital.

Live coverage wraps up

It’s time to end today’s rolling hantavirus coverage.

Thanks for following along.

MV Hondius to dock in Tenerife on Sunday

The MV Hondius cruise is to reach within the Canary Islands on Sunday.

Officials are working to organise a dedicated repatriation flight for British passengers.

Britons will likely be tested for hantavirus onboard the ship, and will likely be flown home the identical day in the event that they have a negative result and display no symptoms.

The vessel is heading in the right direction to land in Tenerife on Sunday, subject to weather conditions.

Dutch hantavirus victim’s body repatriated

The body of a Dutch woman who died after contracting hantavirus has been repatriated, South African officials have confirmed.

Health department spokesperson Foster Mogale told reporters the unnamed woman’s body was returned to the Netherlands on a KLM flight.

Posthumous tests have returned a positive result for hantavirus.

She was amongst dozens who left the MV Hondius while it was docked in St Helena.

It’s unclear whether the body of her 70-year-old husband, who also died within the outbreak, has been repatriated.

Spanish authorities preparing to welcome MV Hondius

Afternoon all, it’s Ryan Prosser to take you thru the evening.

Authorities in Tenerife are preparing to welcome the MV Hondius cruise ship.

Health officials have drawn up plans to evacuate the some 140 passengers and crew when the stricken vessel arrives within the Canary Islands.

Not less than three passengers have died, and several other others are sick. Not one of the remaining passengers or crew is currently showing symptoms.

Each the UK and the US are arranging flights to repatriate their residents. The WHO says the danger of hantavirus to the broader public stays low.

Passengers who disembarked the vessel before the outbreak was detected are being tracked by health authorities.

Those still on MV Hondius report no symptoms

The passengers who remain on the hantavirus-hit cruise ship should not reporting any symptoms, the World Health Organisation has said.

Those that have been exposed to the virus have been asked to self-isolate with regular medical checks

The World Health Organisation’s technical officer Anais Legand said: ‘They will likely be asked to take their temperature each day for 42 days, they will likely be asked to ascertain day-after-day for other symptoms like feeling unwell or a headache

‘They will likely be supplied with someone to contact in the event that they’re not feeling well, it’s as much as the national authorities where people will go next.

Canary Islands’ president says it’s ‘time to collaborate’

The President of the Canary Islands has said ‘it’s time to collaborate’ after he was forced to permit MV Hondius to dock near Tenerife.

Fernando Clavijo has softened his stance after he was overruled by the Spanish courts for attempting to deny the hantavirus-hit ship from arriving in the world.

He said: ‘[The Canary Islands] has been critical, and continues to be so, of the Spanish government’s decision regarding the MV Hondius

‘But now it’s time to act responsibly to make sure that operations go easily, that the passengers spend the least possible time within the islands, and that they will proceed their journey to their countries. 

‘It’s time to collaborate, protect the islands and the people of the islands, and help.’

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