Stories from Tenerife · Spain

A luxury cruise liner, carrying almost 100 people including 17 Americans, suffered a deadly Hanta virus outbreak. The ship is expected to drop anchor off the Canary Islands.

The Spanish government plans to begin repatriations on Sunday, with landing requests already received for Tenerife South airport. The protocol involves passengers disembarking by boat to Spanish soil, followed by a 10-minute land transfer to the plane stairs.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that the risk to people on the Canary Islands is low following a cruise ship incident. There are currently five confirmed and three suspected cases of SARS-CoV-2 on board.

The Spanish government has granted permission for the vessel MV Honduras to dock in the Canary Islands. Three people on board the ship have died since a health outbreak began in early April. The vessel is traveling towards Europe, according to the report.

The World Health Organization reported that individuals may be quarantined for up to two months if they show symptoms of the Hanta virus upon disembarking a cruise ship. An outbreak of the Andy's strain of Hanta virus has killed three people off the coast of Spain. While the virus can be transmitted person to person in rare cases, the most common transmission method is through rodent droppings. Lisa Barrett, an infectious disease expert in Halifax, advised that individuals should not immediately sweep up mouse droppings to prevent infection and should use masks. New case counts include 128 cases and 75 cases in East Sabah, following 39 previous cases. The Ministry of Labor announced that the risk of human-to-human transmission is low if passengers from the cruise ship suspected of a Hanta virus outbreak enter Japan.

Fourteen Spanish tourists and one English doctor disembarked in the Canary Islands following a cruise ship incident. The ship's crew members are from the Philippines. The exact origin of the Hantavirus case is not specified. The ship's health responsibility lies with the charterer and the flag state, which in this case is the Netherlands, rather than the host nation. Current IMO regulations focus more on environmental standards for fuel discharge than on mandatory protocols for receiving ships with sick passengers. Health authorities are implementing containment measures to prevent further spread of the virus. The patient is currently under medical observation. Spanish maritime rescue vessels and the Civil Guard are orbiting a ship. A small tugboat brought two foreign health professionals over an hour ago to examine the passengers.

Spanish Health Minister Monica Garcia stated that a vessel carrying symptomatic passengers will sail to Tenerife. The ship is currently located near Cape Verde and has permission from the Spanish government to proceed to Tenerife. The Dutch shipping company Oceanwide has requested to dock there on Saturday. More than 140 people have been waiting for days to continue their journey aboard the MV Honius. Authorities previously rejected the vessel's arrival due to public health risks. Canary Islands Regional President Fernando Clavijo also expressed concerns regarding the situation. The cruise ship is expected to arrive in Tenerife within three to four days. Symptomatic passengers and crew are awaiting evacuation at the Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria University Hospital in Tenerife. Authorities decided a ship was allowed to approach Tenerife but was not permitted to dock.

Three members of the Cruz Geroplio died during a drug trafficking discovery in the Canary Islands. The Spanish Health Ministry confirmed the deaths. The leader of the Canary Islands denies the elimination of the Cruz Geroplio.

A 69-year-old Dutch tourist died following an evacuation from an aircraft. Her 70-year-old husband also died on a ship. The vessel is expected to proceed to the Canary Islands, Spain, for a full disinfection.

The move is described as a humanitarian and moral action. The World Health Organization expressed concern about potential human-to-human transmission.