One of the 17 American passengers who were evacuated from a cruise ship in the Canary Islands has tested positive for the hantavirus, as confirmed by U.S. health officials on Sunday evening. The group was airlifted from the MV Hondius upon its arrival in Tenerife, the largest island in the Canary Islands. Their flight was scheduled to land in Omaha, Nebraska, early Monday.
Upon arrival in Nebraska, the passengers will be taken to the University of Nebraska for evaluation in a federally funded quarantine facility to determine if they have had close contact with any symptomatic individuals and assess their risk of spreading the virus.
A spokesperson for The Nebraska Medical Center, Kayla Thomas, stated that one passenger, who tested positive for the virus but is asymptomatic, will be transferred to the Nebraska Biocontainment Unit upon landing. The remaining passengers will be sent to the National Quarantine Unit for assessment and monitoring.
The MV Hondius docked in Tenerife on Sunday morning, where Spanish authorities initiated the evacuation process by nationality, ferrying passengers to the port via small boats. The World Health Organization (WHO) aimed to complete the evacuation of the vessel, except for the 30 crew members remaining onboard, by Monday 7 pm.
Passengers were advised to leave their belongings on the ship and were only allowed to bring essential items like their phone and passport.
In a recent announcement, Director-General of the World Health Organization Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus mentioned that most passengers and crew from the MV Hondius had disembarked successfully.
Travelers returning to the UK will undergo a 45-day self-isolation period and are prohibited from using public transportation to reach their residences. After isolation, health experts will decide if passengers can self-isolate at home or another suitable location based on their living conditions.
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper expressed gratitude to those involved in coordinating the safe return of MV Hondius passengers to the UK via a special flight with proper health measures in place. Collaboration with Spain, South Africa, the Netherlands, and the WHO was crucial for facilitating the safe repatriation process.
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