Spanish health officials board hantavirus-hit ship to start evacuating passengers

Spain has begun the evacuation process of passengers from the hantavirus-hit cruise ship anchored near Tenerife on Sunday, with health officials boarding the boat to conduct a final check and begin disembarking passengers, Spain’s Health Ministry said.

Spanish nationals will be the first to disembark on small boats in groups of five and taken to shore where they will be transferred onto buses and taken to the local airport.

The passengers will board a flight back to Madrid on a Spanish military plane, government officials said, emphasising that they will have no contact with members of the public.

The ship left for Spain on Wednesday from the coast of Cape Verde after the World Health Organization and European Union asked the country to manage the evacuation of passengers after the hantavirus outbreak was detected.

All passengers on the luxury cruise ship MV Hondius are considered high-risk contacts as a precautionary measure, Europe’s public health agency said late on Saturday as part of its rapid scientific advice, adding that the risk to the general population remains low.