09.05.2026 23:21
The Ministry of Health announced that 3 Turkish citizens on a Dutch-flagged passenger ship where hantavirus cases were detected, who do not show any symptoms or signs of illness, will be brought to the country tomorrow and placed in quarantine.
The Spanish government, which allowed the Dutch-flagged passenger ship "MV Hondius," where hantavirus cases were detected, to anchor at the port of Tenerife in the Canary Islands, will evacuate the passengers using military units and quarantining the area.
3 TURKISH CITIZENS TO BE BROUGHT TO THE COUNTRY
The Ministry of Health announced that three Turkish citizens on the said ship, who show no symptoms or signs of illness, will be brought to the country tomorrow and placed in quarantine.
In a statement from the Ministry, it was stated, "Three of our citizens, who are on an international cruise ship and whose health conditions are closely monitored, will be brought to our country tomorrow. During the follow-up process conducted in coordination with relevant international authorities, it has been reported that our citizens show no symptoms or signs of illness. From the moment they arrive in our country, they will be quarantined and their health processes will be meticulously carried out by our Ministry."
ALL PREPARATIONS COMPLETE
The Spanish government has completed all preparations for the evacuation of nearly 150 passengers from 23 nationalities on the ship "MV Hondius," which is expected to arrive at the port of Granadilla de Abona in Tenerife between 04:00 and 06:00 local time (06:00-08:00 Turkish Time) tomorrow.
Interior Minister Fernando Grande Marlaska, Health Minister Monica Garcia, and World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus arrived on the island of Tenerife to closely coordinate the evacuation of passengers on the ship.
EACH TRANSFER WILL TAKE APPROXIMATELY 10 MINUTES
In information provided to the press by the Interior and Health Ministries, it was reported that to ensure the virus poses no risk to the civilian population in Tenerife, the ship will anchor at the port entrance, and passengers will be transferred from the ship to the port via boats organized by country, and from there by buses to Tenerife airport.
It was stated that before the evacuation process, which will be carried out under the control of soldiers from the Military Emergency Unit (UCM), all passengers and crew will undergo a health check inside the ship.
The government shared that to ensure the transfer from the port to the airport is as fast and safe as possible, passengers will not leave the ship until their planes are ready, each transfer will take approximately 10 minutes, and if any country does not send planes to bring back its citizens, two European Union rescue aircraft will handle their transfer.
ALL PASSENGERS WILL BE SENT TO THEIR COUNTRIES
It was noted that first, 14 Spanish passengers will disembark to be sent to the Gomez Ulla military hospital in Madrid and placed in quarantine, all passengers will be sent to their countries, all personnel involved in the transfer will wear FFP2 type face masks, and passenger luggage will be placed in bags.
It was also stated that a no-approach zone has been established within a radius of one nautical mile around the ship, and the port area will be completely quarantined.
NO CONTACT WITH THE CIVILIAN POPULATION
Interior Minister Marlaska stated, "Passengers and crew of the Hondius ship will only be able to communicate with professionals working in the evacuation operation. There will be no contact with the civilian population." Meanwhile, WHO Director-General Ghebreyesus in a message tried to alleviate the concerns of the people of Tenerife, saying, "This is not another virus."
So far, 3 people have died from hantavirus, and currently, 6 people have been diagnosed with the virus on the ship, which carries 147 passengers and crew from 23 countries.
HANTAVIRUS
Hantavirus is known as a disease mostly transmitted from rodents.
The virus, which is transmitted by inhaling air mixed with dried feces, urine, and saliva of rodents, and occasionally by being bitten or scratched by a rodent, causes symptoms such as fever, fatigue, and muscle pain.
The virus, which can also cause respiratory failure, sometimes progresses as internal bleeding and kidney failure.