TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Passengers evacuated from the hantavirus-hit cruise ship MV Hondius have begun returning to their home countries as health authorities continue monitoring efforts following the outbreak.
Several countries, including the United States (US), the United Kingdom (UK), Germany, and other European nations, dispatched aircraft to evacuate their citizens after the Dutch-flagged cruise ship docked near the Spanish port of Granadilla in Tenerife, Canary Islands.
According to Spanish Health Minister Monica Garcia, as reported by DW, a total of 94 people from 19 countries had been evacuated as of Monday. Garcia said 34 others, most of them crew members, would remain aboard the MV Hondius and continue sailing to the Netherlands on Monday.
The evacuation operation began after several hantavirus cases were detected aboard the vessel. While most passengers and crew members reportedly showed no symptoms, authorities confirmed that one French passenger developed symptoms during a flight from Tenerife to France. Meanwhile, one passenger from the United States tested positive for hantavirus but remained asymptomatic.
Four German nationals evacuated from the ship also arrived safely in Frankfurt and are expected to undergo further medical screening by health authorities.
Despite the outbreak, the World Health Organization stated that the overall risk to the public remains low. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus previously emphasized that the situation should not be compared to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Most passengers have now disembarked and are either returning home or being transferred to designated monitoring facilities for observation and treatment if necessary.
Although the ship is heading to the Netherlands for further disinfection procedures, it is expected to dock briefly once more in the Canary Islands on Monday evening due to adverse weather conditions.
MV Hondius captain Jan Dobrogowski issued a video statement on Monday praising both passengers and crew members for remaining calm throughout the crisis.
“I could not imagine sailing through these circumstances with a better group of people, guests and crew alike,” Dobrogowski said, while also urging the public and media to respect the privacy of those involved after the widely publicized incident.
Health authorities warned that the monitoring process may continue for some time because hantavirus can have a relatively long incubation period.
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