Hantavirus Cruise Ship to anchor off Granadilla with passengers airlifted from Sunday
It has been confirmed by the Spanish authorities that the cruise ship with a hantavirus outbreak on board will anchor off Granadilla rather than dock in the port, with passengers to be repatriated by air on Sunday.
Following a high-level meeting in Madrid late yesterday (Thursday) between Spain’s Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Territorial Policy and the Canary Islands Government, it was announced that the vessel — the MV Hondius — will not berth in port but will instead remain at anchor off the coast.
Passengers will be transferred ashore by launch or support vessel before being taken directly to the airport for repatriation flights as long as they have passed Hantavirus tests and screening.
Regional Government Still Opposed
The Canary Islands President, Fernando Clavijo, said the decision to anchor rather than dock reduces potential risk.
“It is very good news because the possible vectors of contagion and risk are reduced,” he said, while reiterating that the regional government still disagrees with the ship’s arrival in Canary waters.
Clavijo also urged Madrid to ensure the vessel remains off the islands for the shortest time possible and returns to the Netherlands, where it is registered, immediately after all passengers have disembarked.
Spain’s Minister for Territorial Policy, Ángel Víctor Torres, sought to reassure the public, stating that the operation would be carried out “with absolute safety” and that there would be “no contact with the population”.
“The scientific evidence must prevail,” he said, stressing that epidemiological experts are overseeing the response.
US, UK and Spain Sending Aircraft
Later coordination meetings confirmed that aircraft from the United States, the United Kingdom and Spain will arrive in Tenerife on Sunday to repatriate their nationals once passengers have been evacuated from the ship.
Authorities are awaiting confirmation from other countries, as there are passengers of 23 different nationalities onboard.
The Spanish Government informed the Canary authorities that the health status of passengers and crew is currently described as “good, within the situation”, and that none have shown symptoms since 28th April.
Health Protocols Activated
The Canarian Health Service has activated its infectious disease protocol. This includes coordination with the High-Level Isolation Unit (UATAM) at the University Hospital of La Candelaria in Tenerife, one of only 16 hospitals in Spain equipped with such specialised units.
Monitoring of the ship is being carried out through the mandatory Maritime Health Declaration, which requires the vessel to submit regular clinical updates on every passenger and crew member. A first 72-hour report has already been received, with further updates to follow every 12 hours.
However, the final operational protocol, covering everything from disembarkation to boarding evacuation flights, is still being finalised by External Health authorities, the Government Delegation, the Port Authority and the Maritime Captaincy.
Containment measures during transfer are still under discussion, including the possible use of so-called “bubble buses” to transport passengers from port to aircraft without outside contact.
For residents and visitors in Tenerife, officials continue to insist that strict isolation procedures will be enforced and that there will be no interaction between passengers and the local population.
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