SouthernWorldwide.com – The United States government is orchestrating a repatriation flight to safely evacuate 17 American citizens from a cruise ship currently grappling with a severe hantavirus outbreak.
This critical operation is being spearheaded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Department of Health and Human Services. The flight, coordinated with Spanish authorities, will facilitate the return of these Americans to the United States, as confirmed by the U.S. State Department.
The vessel in question is the MV Hondius, which has become the focal point of global concern due to the potential spread of the rare and dangerous virus. The ship is on its journey from Cape Verde to the Canary Islands, an autonomous community of Spain located off the western coast of Africa.
It is anticipated that the MV Hondius will reach the waters near Tenerife, the largest island in the Canary Islands archipelago, by early Sunday local time. Following its arrival, between Sunday and Monday, the ship will undergo a carefully managed disembarkation process designed to prevent further transmission of the virus.
Spanish officials have indicated that the MV Hondius will not be permitted to dock in Tenerife. Instead, the ship will anchor offshore while the evacuation proceeds.
The disembarkation will be conducted on a country-by-country basis, as announced by Spanish officials during a press conference on Friday. Passengers will only be allowed to leave the ship once they have been confirmed as asymptomatic. They will then be transported ashore in small groups of five via tender boats.
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Upon reaching the shore, passengers will board buses that will take them directly to the airport runway. Their respective national aircraft will be pre-positioned and ready for immediate departure, according to the Spanish authorities.
“I repeat for the umpteenth time: all the areas they will travel through will be isolated,” stated Virginia Balcones, the secretary general of civil protection. “There will be no contact with civilian personnel.”
The World Health Organization (WHO) is actively involved in providing health assessments for everyone on board. Their objective is to “assess what level of exposure” each individual may have had to confirmed hantavirus cases, according to Anais Legand, a WHO technical officer. This information will guide the WHO in advising passengers on the necessary next steps.
As of Friday, neither the WHO nor Spanish officials reported any passengers on board exhibiting symptoms of the disease. The total number of individuals on the MV Hondius is 147.
Medicalized aircraft will be on standby in case any passengers develop symptoms. However, the current working assumption is that standard aircraft will be utilized for the repatriation, Balcones added.
Following the disembarkation process in the Canary Islands, the MV Hondius, which is registered in the Netherlands, is expected to depart for its home port. It will sail with a reduced skeleton crew, as confirmed by Spanish health officials.
The outbreak has led to nine confirmed or suspected cases of hantavirus linked to the cruise. Tragically, three fatalities have been reported: a Dutch couple and another female passenger who passed away on the ship.
The Dutch couple had reportedly spent several months traveling through Argentina, Uruguay, and Chile. During their travels, they engaged in bird-watching in areas known to harbor the Andes strain of the hantavirus. This particular strain is noteworthy as it is the only one transmissible from person to person.
Numerous countries, including the United States, are already monitoring individuals who disembarked from the MV Hondius before the hantavirus cases were confirmed among the passengers.
Spanish Secretary of State for Health, Javier Padilla, reiterated the low risk of hantavirus, even the Andes strain, spreading globally in a manner similar to COVID-19. This sentiment aligns with the ongoing assessments by health officials.
“We have been stating this all along; the current situation poses a very low risk to the general population,” Padilla emphasized.
Angel Canales contributed to this report.
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