‘Unprecedented operation’ under way to receive MV Hondius off Tenerife to assess and repatriate those onboard
The Spanish authorities are finalising preparations for the arrival of the MV Hondius this weekend, saying an “unprecedented operation” is under way to receive, assess and repatriate the 149 passengers and crew members onboard the hantavirus-stricken cruise ship.
The Dutch-flagged vessel, which was sailing from Argentina to Cape Verde, is due to arrive off Tenerife in the Canary Islands at around midday on Sunday.
After negotiations between the Spanish government and the archipelago’s regional authorities, the MV Hondius will remain at anchor in the port of Granadilla and will not dock in Tenerife. Passengers will be evaluated onboard and will not have any contact with the local population when they are taken from the ship to be repatriated or, in the case of the 14 Spanish nationals onboard, transported to a military hospital in Madrid for quarantine.
“This is an unprecedented operation in response to an international health alert involving 23 countries,” Spain’s health minister, Mónica García, told Spain’s state radio broadcaster, RNE, on Friday morning.
