Ruptly
"Several countries have dispatched aircraft to Tenerife South-Reina Sofia Airport to assist in the evacuation of nearly 150 passengers and crew from the MV Hondius following a confirmed outbreak of Andes hantavirus. Footage captures planes parked and ready at the airport's tarmac, as authorities began the maritime health evacuation earlier in the day. The cruise ship anchored near the Port of Granadilla in Spain's Canary Islands early on Sunday. Nearly 150 people are being evacuated in stages for medical screening and repatriation flights scheduled to continue through Monday, May 11. 23 counties - including Germany, France, Belgium, Ireland, the Netherlands, the US and the UK - are participating in what Spanish authorities have described as an 'unprecedented operation.' Spain allowed the ship to anchor in the waters off Granadilla under strict health measures after days of talks with regional authorities. Officials had initially opposed the docking over fears of public health risks. The World Health Organisation (WHO) said the overall public risk remains 'low'. The outbreak at the cruise ship is believed to have begun after exposure during the ship's South America itinerary, before it left Ushuaia on April 1. Contact tracing has since expanded across several continents after some passengers left the ship in Saint Helena before the outbreak was confirmed. South African authorities traced contacts after a Dutch woman became seriously ill during travel and died after being taken off a flight in Johannesburg. Saint Helena officials said local contacts had been identified and given health guidance. The World Health Organisation reported a total of eight cases, including six confirmed and two probable, with three resulting in deaths."
Go to News Site