CDC, WHO, law enforcement awaiting MV Hondius arrival

A drone view of the cruise ship MV Hondius leaving Cape Verde. (Reuters: Stringer) The MV Hondius is set to arrive about 2:30pm AEST in the Canary Islands, where members of the World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control and Spanish government will meet them. Some residents of Tenerife have protested the government's decision to accept the ship and the WHO Director-General has reassured them the situation is different from COVID. Passengers and crew will disembark and undergo medical screening, after which they will be repatriated to their home countries. Link copiedShareShare articleThe Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has gotten involved in managing the outbreak of hantavirus aboard the MV Hondius, as it is set to arrive in the Canary Islands this afternoon, about 2:30pm AEST. It was meant to be the journey of a lifetime for travel influencer Jake Rosmarin, but his voyage across the south Atlantic turned into a nightmare after three people were killed by hantavirus. As the ship approaches the port of Granadilla on Tenerife, the largest of Spain's Canary Islands, the CDC announced it is working with the US State Department and other partners to evacuate American passengers. In a statement to the official CDC website, the federal public health agency said several US passengers had disembarked the ship "before the outbreak was identified, and some have returned to the United States". Members of the World Health Organization are on the ground at Tenerife, helping to support the evacuation of passengers and crew aboard the MV Hondius. (Reuters: Hannah McKay) "CDC notified the state health departments where these passengers live and is actively providing timely updates, resources, and guidance on how to protect theses passengers and their families and communities," it said. US MV Hondius passenger and travel influencer Jake Rosmarin, who previously shared his experience of the outbreak to Instagram, said "all passengers remain without symptoms and are still in good spirits". Jake Rosmarin made a tearful statement regarding his experiences onboard the MV Hondius. (Supplied: Jake Rosmarin) "Upon arrival, we will undergo screening onboard the ship before passengers are repatriated by their respective countries," Mr Rosmarin said. Spain's Civil Guard law enforcement agency has also been deployed to the port, setting up tents and security. The latest reports from the World Health Organization (WHO) said a total of eight infections had been confirmed, including three deaths. "Two medical evacuation flights, from Cabo Verde, carrying two symptomatic confirmed patients and one previously suspected case landed in the Netherlands on 6 and 7 May," it said. The Spanish Civil Guard has been deployed to the port, as the MV Hondius' arrival is just hours away. (Reuters: Hannah McKay) "As of May 8, four patients are currently hospitalised, one is in intensive care in Johannesburg, South Africa, two [are] in different hospitals in the Netherlands, and the other is in Zurich, Switzerland." Thirty-four passengers and crew had disembarked MV Hondius before the outbreak was identified, including some who left the cruise at St Helena, who have been contacted and advised to self-monitor for symptoms. Demonstrators attend a protest against the arrival of the MV Hondius cruise ship in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain. (Reuters: Hannah McKay) But residents of Tenerife said they are worried, according to reports by the Associated Press. “I tell you, I don’t like this very much,” said 69-year-old resident Simon Vidal, according to AP. “Anyone can say what they want. Why did they have to bring a boat from another country here? Why not anywhere else, why bring it to the Canary Islands?” WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus reassured residents of the autonomous Spanish archipelago, and said "this is not another COVID". "I know you are worried. I know that when you hear the word 'outbreak' and watch a ship sail toward your shores, memories surface that none of us have fully put to rest," Dr Ghebreyesus. "The current public health risk from hantavirus remains low." WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has thanked Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez for allowing the MV Hondius to dock. (Reuters) Dr Ghebreyesus went on to say there were no symptomatic passengers on board the MV Hondius and personally thanked Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. "Nearly 150 people from 23 countries have been at sea for weeks, some of them grieving, all of them frightened, all of them longing for home," he said. When working out the best time to get your vaccine, you may be balancing a theoretical benefit by waiting against the chance of actually getting the flu before you get vaccinated. "Tenerife has been chosen because it has the medical capacity, the infrastructure, and the humanity to help them reach safety." Oceanwide Expeditions, MV Hondius' cruise operator, said guests and limited crew will

CDC, WHO, law enforcement awaiting MV Hondius arrival

Key takeaways

More in international