The Ministry of Health reported on Tuesday night that the cruise ship ‘Hondius’, where up to seven hantavirus infections may have occurred – three of them unconfirmed – will dock in the Canary Islands after the evacuation of the three people still on board who show symptoms.
The Government has also accepted a formal request from the Netherlands to host the doctor from the ‘Hondius’, who is in serious condition, and who will be transported to the Canary Islands on a hospital plane in the coming hours.
The Ministry of Health of the Netherlands, where the ship originates, announced in the afternoon that it would deploy air ambulances to evacuate the other two possible infected individuals. An operation that will be carried out in coordination with the authorities of Cape Verde, where the ship is currently located, before it heads to the Canary archipelago.
Although the Spanish Government, responding to the request of the Canary Islands Executive, had initially rejected the ship docking in the Canary Islands, the ministry has finally heeded the request of the World Health Organization (WHO) appealing to the “compliance with International Law and the humanitarian spirit.”
“The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) is conducting a thorough examination of the ship to determine which people must be urgently evacuated in Cape Verde itself. The rest will continue towards the Canary Islands, where they expect to arrive within 3 or 4 days,” the Ministry of Health states in a note.
The authorities indicate that the port where the ship will dock has not yet been defined. Once there, crew and passengers will be properly examined, cared for, and transferred to their respective countries. The process will be coordinated through a common case and contact management protocol developed by the WHO and the ECDC with safety protocols.
The authorities indicate that the port where the ship will dock has not yet been defined
“Both medical care and transfers will be carried out in specially enabled spaces and transports ad hoc for this situation, avoiding all contact with the local population and always ensuring the safety of healthcare personnel,” the ministry note adds.
The World Health Organization has explained that Cape Verde cannot carry out this operation due to its own healthcare capabilities. The Canary Islands, on the other hand, do meet the appropriate healthcare requirements and logistics for this operation.
“Spain has a moral and legal obligation to assist these people, among whom are also several Spanish citizens,” the note concludes.
