The HV Hondius approaches the port of Granadilla with passengers possibly infected with hantavirus on board, in Tenerife, Canary Islands on May 10th, 2026. Photo: Andrés Gutiérrez/Anadolu/Gettyimages.ru

The MV Hondius cruise ship, affected by a hantavirus outbreak, arrives in the Canary Islands

The MV Hondius, the cruise ship affected by a hantavirus outbreak since early April. Arrived this Sunday at the port of Granadilla, on the Spanish island of Tenerife (Canary Islands). From where an evacuation will take place to repatriate the passengers and crew.

Passengers and crew will undergo an initial evaluation to rule out infection. And will only leave the ship when the planes are deployed on the runway at Tenerife South Airport.

It is expected that the first to disembark will be the 14 Spaniards—13 passengers and one crew member. Also who will travel by plane to the Gómez Ulla Hospital in Madrid.

The operation will be carried out by the Civil Guard and the Port Health Authority. Once the planes are confirmed ready, the passengers will be transferred by Zodiac. Five at a time, from the anchored cruise ship to the dock. After being secured behind orange barriers and equipped with personal protective equipment. Including FFP2 masks as an additional precaution, they will board military buses bound for the airport. A journey that takes approximately ten minutes.

“I know you are worried”
The General Director of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, and the Spanish Ministers of Health, Mónica García. The Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska; and Territorial Policy and Democratic Memory, Ángel Víctor Torres. They have traveled to the island and announced that a comprehensive operation is in place.

In a message to the residents of Tenerife, Tedros highlighted the island’s solidarity and asked for confidence in “the preparations that have been made.” At the same time, he reiterated that “the current risk to public health from hantavirus remains low.” Assuring that “this is not another Covid-19.”

“I know you are worried. I know that when you hear the word ‘outbreak’ and see a ship approaching your shores, memories resurface that none of us have completely left behind. The pain of 2020 is still real, and I don’t minimize it for a moment,” he declared.

For his part, the president of the Canary Islands government, Fernando Clavijo, expressed his strong opposition to welcoming the MV Hondius. If there are no guarantees that all passengers on board will leave Tenerife. Specifically, he stated that the regional government will not “approve or authorize” the cruise ship to anchor. Also accused the central government of imposing decisions without building trust or providing the requested documentation and protocols.

Meanwhile, the General Directorate of the Merchant Marine ordered the ship to be received in the port of Granadilla. Either through controlled anchoring or docking. Considering that health controls are more effective in a prepared facility than keeping the ship indefinitely at sea. This has sparked a direct clash between the central government and the Canary Islands authorities.

With information from RT.com

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