The evacuation of passengers from the Dutch-flagged luxury cruise ship, MV Hondius, is scheduled for completion on Monday following a deadly hantavirus outbreak.
Spain’s Health Ministry confirmed that repatriation flights from Australia and the Netherlands will transport the remaining passengers from the Canary Islands.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported three confirmed fatalities—a Dutch couple and a German national—among six confirmed cases.
While the vessel was carrying 147 passengers and crew, health officials have tracked cases across multiple countries, including the United States and France, where a French passenger’s condition is reportedly deteriorating.
The outbreak was first identified by health officials in Johannesburg on May 2, after a British passenger who had disembarked the ship required intensive care.
The WHO has recommended a stringent 42-day quarantine for all passengers starting from Sunday, despite official reassurances that hantavirus is significantly less contagious than COVID-19.
While the virus is typically spread by rodents, health authorities noted that no rodents were detected on board, though person-to-person transmission remains possible in rare cases of close contact. Following the final evacuations, thirty crew members will remain on the vessel as it sails to the Netherlands for a comprehensive disinfection process.
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