Taking the cruise ship ‘MV Hondius’, affected by a hantavirus outbreak, to the Canary Islands was a decision guided “by science, humanity, and Spain’s solvency” and has allowed mortality to be controlled. At this moment there are 13 positive cases (two Spaniards), including the three passengers who died before the ship was moved to the Canary archipelago. This represents a mortality rate of just under 24%, a figure far from the usual rates for this virus, which approach 40%.
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To a large extent, this reduction in mortality is related to the medical assistance received both on the ship when it arrived in Cape Verde, as well as upon its arrival in Tenerife and the immediate repatriation of the passengers to their countries of origin.
This was stated by the Minister of Health, Mónica García, in her speech in Congress to explain the management of this health crisis and the decision to take the ship to Tenerife. Spain acted because it had to act,” out of “humanity,” “responsibility,” and “international legality,” and did so “exactly as we would like other countries to act if Spanish citizens were trapped in the middle of a health emergency far from home,” García indicates.
“The result of these weeks shows that it was and has always been the right decision,” she concludes.
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The minister recalled that the operation itself began on the afternoon of May 5, when Spain, after having offered to collaborate, formally responded to the WHO’s request to bring the ship, with 147 passengers on board from 23 nationalities, to the nearest safe port. After technical meetings during all the previous days and that same morning, the international health authorities, led by the WHO and the ECDC, confirmed that Cape Verde did not meet the requirements.
The WHO did not issue its request for help “from the first moment,” but from the early hours scenarios, capacities, and alternatives were evaluated, García explained. But the conclusion was clear: the Canary Islands were the territory that met the requirements, from ports designated according to the International Health Regulations to existing contingency plans, surveillance and health control programs, advanced hospital capacity, experience in managing complex emergencies, and geographical proximity.
Thus, on May 10, and in full coordination with the WHO, the ECDC, the autonomous communities, and the other 22 countries involved, the evacuation and repatriation of the cruise passengers was carried out, which ended with “exquisite punctuality” on the afternoon of the 11th, culminating in a “success” recognized by all organizations and international governments.
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