The MV Hondius, the cruise ship at the centre of a deadly hantavirus outbreak, has been given the all-clear to resume sailing, Oceanwide Expeditions has confirmed. The vessel triggered a global health scare earlier this month after passengers fell ill with the rare, rodent-borne disease, resulting in 13 confirmed cases and three deaths.
Following an extensive deep clean and disinfection, the Dutch public health authority has declared the ship fit to return to sea, stating there are 'no longer any obstacles to putting the Hondius back to sea'. The UK Health Security Agency directed 22 British passengers on board to undergo testing at Arrowe Park Hospital on the Wirral, entering quarantine on May 10. Six were permitted to leave hospital to complete isolation at home on May 13, while the remaining 16 remain at the facility.
Hantavirus, for which no vaccine or specific treatment exists, can remain dormant in the body for up to eight weeks. The first passenger fell ill on April 6, just over nine weeks before the ship is now expected to resume sailing.
Oceanwide Expeditions stated: 'The planned departure of m/v Hondius from the port of Rotterdam to Vlissingen has been delayed following advice from GGD Rotterdam for additional cleaning procedures. The remaining crew members from the original voyage were escorted to quarantine facilities on Saturday evening. Captain Jan Dobrogowski was transported to Poland via specialized transport. Where appropriate, Dutch crew members have returned to their homes for home quarantine as per established protocols.'
The company added: 'GGD Rotterdam, in cooperation with Oceanwide Expeditions, wants to ensure that the vessel is ready to be safely returned to service. Based on their inspection findings, GGD has advised additional cleaning. Following completion of this work, GGD will conduct a final inspection before the vessel can depart from Rotterdam. We will communicate the expected timeline for these procedures as soon as this becomes clear. At this stage, all voyages from 13 June onwards will proceed as scheduled. No further disruption to the sailing schedule of m/v Hondius is expected.'
