08.05.2026 15:50
Spain will evacuate 147 people from the ship where hantavirus was detected, sending them to their countries without public contact. Spanish passengers will be quarantined.
Spain announced that 147 people on the cruise ship named "MV Hondius", where hantavirus cases were detected, will be sent to their countries without contact with the public. Officials emphasized that the process will be conducted entirely according to scientific and technical criteria.
"EVERYTHING IS BASED ON SCIENTIFIC CRITERIA"
Spain's Interior Minister Fernando Grande Marlaska stated in a press briefing that they are acting in coordination with the Ministry of Health and relevant institutions, saying, "Everything is based entirely on technical and scientific criteria."
Marlaska, emphasizing that their priority is to prevent the spread of the virus, expressed that the safety of both passengers and the people of the Canary Islands will be ensured.
PASSENGERS WILL BE EVACUATED IN FULL ISOLATION
Stating that those on the ship will be completely isolated, Marlaska said that no one will be disembarked from the ship until the planes to take passengers to their countries are ready. It was reported that passengers will be transported to the airport by ambulances or buses, without contact with the public, and sent to their countries.
SPANIARDS WILL BE QUARANTINED
Health Minister Monica Garcia announced that foreign passengers who do not require urgent medical attention will be sent to their countries even if they show symptoms. It was stated that the 14 Spanish citizens on the ship have agreed to be taken from Tenerife to Madrid and kept in quarantine for approximately 45 days.
147 PEOPLE FROM 23 COUNTRIES AFFECTED
Virginia Barcones, General Secretary of Civil and Emergencies at the Ministry of Interior, announced that there are passengers and crew from 23 different countries on the ship. The ship hosts a total of 147 people, including 38 from the Philippines, 23 from the UK, 17 from the USA, 14 from Spain, 11 from the Netherlands, 8 from Germany, 5 each from France and Ukraine, 4 each from Canada and Australia, and 3 from Turkey.
CRITICISM FROM THE OPPOSITION
In Spain, the main opposition People's Party (PP) and Vox, along with the Canary Islands Autonomous Government, criticized allowing the ship with hantavirus cases to arrive in the region.
WHAT IS HANTAVIRUS?
Hantavirus is known as a disease typically transmitted from rodents. The virus can be transmitted by inhaling air contaminated with rodent droppings, urine, and saliva, or through bites. The disease, which shows symptoms such as fever, fatigue, and muscle pain, can lead to respiratory failure, internal bleeding, and kidney failure in severe cases.