Nuestra Señora de Candelaria University Hospital, in Santa Cruz de Tenerife (Spain), on the island of Tenerife, in the Canary Islands, May 6, 2026. OSCAR DEL POZO/AFP
The cruise ship MV Hondius, on which a hantavirus outbreak has occurred, is expected to dock at the port of Granadilla, in the south of the island of Tenerife in the Canary Islands, "within three days," Spanish health minister Monica Garcia Gomez said at a press conference on Wednesday, May 6. The docking was anticipated for Saturday, May 9, according to a request submitted by the shipping company Oceanwide Expeditions to the regional port authorities.
The port of Granadilla was chosen because it is relatively isolated, while also being close to Tenerife-South airport, the minister explained. The stated objective was to prevent any contact between the ship's passengers and the local population. "A joint health assessment and evacuation operation will be put in place with the World Health Organization and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control," Garcia Gomez specified.
All foreign passengers will be repatriated through the European Union's civil protection mechanism, coordinated by the European Commission – which has already been activated – "unless their health condition prevents it," the minister stated, assuring that the operation would offer "all necessary guarantees." "Spain has all the capacities needed to care for those concerned and to protect public health," she added.
