Hantavirus latest: Cruise ship approaches dock in Tenerife as UK sends plane to evacuate passengers
The hantavirus-struck cruise ship is due to arrive in Tenerife early on Sunday, where repatriation flights will be waiting to fly passengers home.
The 22 British passengers on board are expected to be flown back to the UK the same day. It is understood they will be tested on the ship before they disembark and will then be taken directly from the ship to the plane.
On arrival, they will be taken to a hospital in Wirral, Merseyside, for “clinical assessment and testing”, health officials said. They will be held for 72 hours, after which specialists will decide whether they can isolate at home or another suitable location.
Spain’s interior minister has confirmed that Germany, France, Belgium, Ireland, and the Netherlands are among the countries also sending planes.
The head of the World Health Organisation arrived in Spain today to join senior government officials overseeing the evacuation of passengers.
The ship’s expected arrival has been met with protest on the island, as residents fear possible exposure to the virus.
But health officials have emphasised that the public is safe. “So far, the risk for the population of Canary Islands and globally remains low,” WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.
