Twenty British passengers evacuated from a cruise ship affected by a hantavirus outbreak have arrived in the United Kingdom following their repatriation from Tenerife. A chartered Titan Airways flight transported the group from the Canary Islands, landing at Manchester Airport on Sunday evening.
Isolation at Arrowe Park Hospital
The British nationals, who were tested for hantavirus prior to boarding the flight, will be taken to isolate at the UK's initial Covid quarantine site at Arrowe Park Hospital on the Wirral, Merseyside. Upon arrival, they will be housed in an accommodation block on the site, away from public areas of the hospital, to undergo clinical assessment and testing as a precautionary measure.
The hospital, which served as the UK's first Covid quarantine facility, had blue covered fences erected around accommodation blocks on Sunday morning. Emergency services in the North West stated that passengers are expected to remain in this managed setting for up to 72 hours. They confirmed that the NHS trust and hospital are operating as normal, with no risk to patients, visitors, or staff, and urged people to continue seeking care as usual.
After the initial isolation period, public health specialists will assess whether passengers can continue isolating at home or at another suitable location, based on their living arrangements. Britons returning to the UK will be required to self-isolate for 45 days and will not be permitted to use public transport to reach their homes.
Evacuation from MV Hondius
The MV Hondius arrived in Tenerife on Sunday morning, and Spanish authorities began evacuating passengers by nationality, ferrying them to port via small boats. While being bussed from the port at Granadilla de Abona to Tenerife South Airport, some British passengers, clad in blue personal protective equipment, waved and gave thumbs up as they passed media crews.
The World Health Organisation stated its goal was to complete the ship's evacuation, except for 30 crew members remaining on board, by 7pm on Monday. Passengers were instructed to leave their luggage on the ship and were only allowed to take a small bag containing essential items such as their phone and passport.
No Symptoms Among Passengers
Spanish authorities reported on Sunday that no passengers on the ship were showing symptoms of the virus. The first group to be taken off the vessel, consisting of 14 Spanish nationals, was flown to a hospital in Madrid. However, one of five French passengers exhibited symptoms during their repatriation flight, according to French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu. In a post on X, he stated that all five were immediately placed in strict isolation until further notice, where they will receive medical care and undergo further testing.
The Spanish health ministry confirmed that 94 people of 19 nationalities had been taken off the cruise ship as of Sunday.
WHO: Not Another Covid
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a press conference in Tenerife that the outbreak was not another Covid and that the risk to the public is low. He emphasised that the situation is being managed effectively.
Confirmed Cases and Response
The WHO announced on Saturday that there had been six confirmed hantavirus cases linked to the MV Hondius, with four patients in hospital. It added that eight cases, including three deaths, had been reported, with one previous suspected case being reclassified after testing negative for hantavirus. The UK Health Security Agency confirmed that three British nationals are among the eight cases: two confirmed hantavirus infections and one suspected case. The two confirmed British cases are in hospitals in South Africa and the Netherlands, while the third British national with a suspected case is being supported on the British overseas territory of Tristan da Cunha, where they reside.
In response, six paratroopers, an RAF consultant, and an Army nurse from 16 Air Assault Brigade were parachuted onto the South Atlantic island. Oxygen supplies and medical aid were also dropped on Tristan da Cunha, which is normally only accessible by boat. The Ministry of Defence stated that this was the first time medical personnel had been parachuted in to provide humanitarian support.
Some 30 crew members and a nurse from the Netherlands, along with the body of a passenger who died on board, will remain on the ship. The vessel will then sail to Rotterdam in the Netherlands for disinfection, according to the WHO.
