Spain Begins Evacuation From Hantavirus Cruise Ship – Tenerife
Spain has started evacuating passengers from the MS Hondius cruise ship after a hantavirus outbreak linked to the rare Andes strain. The ship remains anchored off Tenerife in the Canary Islands while health officials carry out a tightly controlled operation.
Health Minister Mónica García said the evacuation was moving smoothly and confirmed that all passengers currently remain asymptomatic.
Passengers wearing white medical masks were seen on the ship’s deck and at cabin windows as evacuation teams arrived. Small groups were transported to shore by boat, where officials in protective suits guided them through strict health procedures.
Passengers Sent Home Under Strict Safety Measures
Passengers are being grouped by nationality before being transferred to Tenerife airport. Charter flights are then taking them back to their home countries.
Video from the airport showed workers helping passengers into protective hazmat suits before boarding flights. Spanish nationals were the first to leave, followed by Dutch, Greek, and German passengers. More evacuation flights are expected for the UK, US, and Australia.
The Hondius arrived near Granadilla port before dawn on Sunday, one month after the first death onboard. Medical teams boarded the ship early in the morning to screen everyone for signs of infection.
Spanish authorities created a one-nautical-mile security zone around the vessel as it approached the island. More than 100 passengers and crew members are expected to disembark during the operation.
The first passengers to be evacuated from the cruise ship are Spanish nationals
They were pictured boarding buses to Tenerife’s airport after reaching land
Hospitals And Emergency Teams On High Alert
Doctors and emergency staff in Tenerife remain on standby in case any passenger becomes seriously ill during transport. Intensive care teams at Candelaria Hospital have prepared isolation units equipped with ventilators and infectious disease testing equipment.
Chief intensive care doctor Mar Martin said hospital staff were fully prepared despite never dealing with hantavirus before.
“We are absolutely ready,” she said. “It’s a virus with complications, and we are trained to manage situations like this.”
Large supplies of masks, gloves, and protective suits have already been prepared for medical teams handling the evacuation.
WHO Supports Spain’s Response
Spain’s health minister described the operation as “unprecedented” because of the complexity involved in preventing the virus from spreading further.
Officials continue stressing that the risk to the general public remains low. According to health experts, hantavirus spreads differently from Covid-19 and requires much closer contact between people.
World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus traveled to Tenerife to oversee the operation and praised Spain’s response.
He acknowledged public concern because of memories of the Covid pandemic but said the risk of wider contagion remains limited due to the nature of the virus and the safety measures already in place.
Chief intensive care doctor Mar Martin with an intensive care bed at the Candelaria hospital
Fear And Tension On The Island
The arrival of the Hondius caused concern among some residents in the Canary Islands. Port workers protested earlier this week, arguing that safety measures were not strong enough.
Confusion also briefly disrupted the operation after Canary Islands president Fernando Clavijo said he would block the ship from entering port. The Spanish central government later stepped in to resolve the situation.
Clavijo also warned about the possibility of infected rodents leaving the ship, though health officials quickly dismissed the idea and said it posed no realistic threat.
Despite early fears, many Tenerife residents now appear reassured by the strict security measures surrounding the evacuation.
One local resident, Jennifer, said people understood the virus was serious but trusted officials to manage the situation safely.
Weeks Of Quarantine Still Ahead
Not everyone will leave the ship immediately. Around 30 crew members will remain onboard to help return the Hondius to the Netherlands.
Passengers arriving in Spain will face mandatory quarantine, including Spanish nationals being transferred to Madrid’s Gomez Ulla military hospital. Because hantavirus can incubate for up to nine weeks, health authorities have not confirmed how long quarantine periods may last.
For many passengers, the evacuation marks the end of weeks of fear and uncertainty at sea. However, long isolation periods and medical monitoring still lie ahead.
