The Canary Islands ports are awaiting the company Oceanwide Expeditions, which is facing a serious health situation after the death of three passengers on board, to request docking after announcing its intention to sail from Cape Verde – where it is currently anchored – to Las Palmas or Tenerife to disembark the passengers, carry out the necessary medical checks and procedures.
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That said, the Canary Islands Government Delegation is in contact with the Ministry of Health and the Coordination Center for Health Alerts and Emergencies (CCAES), led by Fernando Simón, to decide what to do and how to act in case docking is finally authorized at a Canary Islands port for the cruise Mv Hondius. Simón, who was key during the COVID crisis, returns to the scene to take charge of this new episode of supposed epidemiological contagion. “He is the one in command,” these sources indicate.
No one from that ship can disembark without knowing what disease it is
Port and maritime emergency experts indicated yesterday that if that docking occurs, passengers will have to quarantine on board for at least fifteen days, as the priority is to determine the causes and origin of the outbreak, which are still unknown. “No one from that ship can disembark without knowing what disease it is, what caused it, and why it is spreading so rapidly,” they state.
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In this regard, and according to the statement issued yesterday by Ocean Expeditions, of the six people who have fallen ill on board (three have died), only one variant of hantavirus has been identified in one of them, the passenger who became ill and was hospitalized in South Africa, where he remains in critical but stable condition. For the rest, neither sick nor deceased, the origin of the disease is known. “It has not been confirmed that the deaths are related to the current medical situation on board,” the company explained in its statement yesterday.
Port sources explain that the company is requesting docking in the Canary Islands to attend to the two crew members on board who have symptoms of the disease, with acute respiratory problems. One of them is mild and the other severe, but both require urgent medical attention. Cape Verde’s refusal to allow docking and disembarkation forces the search for another nearby port. The Canary Islands are the best option although it is two days’ travel from Cape Verde.
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