Ruptly
"Spanish aircraft carrying 14 nationals evacuated from the hantavirus-stricken cruise ship MV Hondius landed at the Torrejon de Ardoz military airport, 24 km northeast of Madrid, on Sunday. Footage shows members of Spain's Emergency Military Unit and other security personnel preparing the aircraft for the transport of the evacuees. Officials can be seen taking medical supplies onto the plane, plastic-proofing the interior, and setting up gurneys. Video also shows passengers and authorities wearing hazmat suits and respirators. The passengers were disinfected after disembarking from the plane. "14 Spaniards land at Torrejon de Ardoz Air Base," the country's health ministry announced, adding that the evacuees will be transferred to Gomez Ulla Military Hospital in Madrid for 'quarantine and health monitoring'. The ministry added that all the evacuees appear to be asymptomatic. According to media reports, the Spanish nationals were the first to leave the cruise ship, which reached Tenerife, the largest and most populous of Spain's Canary Islands, on Sunday morning. The ship remained under controlled isolation measures offshore after Spanish authorities authorised it to anchor near Granadilla in the Canary Islands under strict health conditions. Nearly 150 passengers from 23 countries were evacuated in stages for screening and repatriation flights, which are scheduled to continue through Monday, May 11. Authorities said those remaining on board were kept separate from the local population. The incident began during the vessel's South America itinerary, with initial exposure believed to have occurred before it departed Ushuaia on April 1. Contact tracing later expanded across multiple countries after passengers disembarked at different ports, including Saint Helena, before the outbreak was confirmed. World Health Organisation reported eight cases linked to the outbreak, including six confirmed and two probable cases, with three deaths recorded."
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