Madrid, Spain. Spain has authorised the Dutch-flagged luxury cruise ship MV Hondius, hit by a hantavirus outbreak, to dock in the Canary Islands as it travels from Cape Verde towards Europe.
Request from international bodies
The Spanish Health Ministry said it was asked by the World Health Organisation and the European Union to take in the MV Hondius “in accordance with international law and humanitarian principles.”
Medical evacuation and reported cases
The ministry said it would receive a medical flight carrying the ship’s doctor, a Dutch national described as gravely ill, following a formal request from the Dutch government.
Officials said a Dutch couple and a German national have died since the outbreak manifested in early April. A British national was evacuated from the ship and is in intensive care in South Africa, officials said.
Conditions on board and Cape Verde restrictions
Oceanwide Expeditions, the ship’s operator, said two crew members require urgent medical care. Another person on board with a suspected case has only reported a mild fever.
Cape Verde, which was meant to be the ship’s final destination, has not allowed the vessel to put passengers ashore.
Planned operations in the Canary Islands
The Spanish health ministry said that once in the Canary Islands, at a port yet to be determined, crew and passengers would be examined, treated and repatriated to their respective countries, in coordination with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and the WHO.
The ministry said all necessary safety measures would be taken, including medical care and transportation in special facilities and vehicles to avoid contact with the local population and protect health workers.
“The World Health Organization has explained that Cape Verde is unable to carry out this operation,” the statement said, adding that the Canary Islands are the closest location with the necessary capabilities.
“Spain has a moral and legal obligation to assist these people, among whom are also several Spanish citizens,” it said.
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