Passengers aboard the hantavirus-stricken expedition ship MV Hondius are expected to begin disembarking in carefully managed groups early Sunday, May 10, in Tenerife, as the World Health Organization coordinates a large-scale international repatriation effort after multiple deaths were linked to an outbreak on board.
According to a May 9 update from Oceanwide Expeditions, the vessel is scheduled to arrive at the industrial port of Granadilla in Tenerife, the largest of the Canary Islands, at 5:30 a.m. local time on May 10. Passengers and a limited number of crew are expected to begin disembarking around 8 a.m. local time before being transferred directly to waiting aircraft.
The company said passengers will leave the ship either aboard Zodiac craft carrying a maximum of five people or launch boats carrying up to 10 people under strict health protocols. The timing of each group’s disembarkation will be coordinated with repatriation flights organized by governments and international agencies.
Oceanwide Expeditions said it is not involved in the screening or repatriation process, which is being led by the WHO and national authorities.
In a public letter on May 9 addressed directly to residents of Tenerife, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus sought to reassure locals worried about the ship's arrival after memories of the COVID-19 pandemic.
