The hantavirus-struck cruise ship has arrived at the island of Tenerife, where it will anchor for the evacuation of passengers and some of the crew.
The passengers, none of whom have displayed signs of infection, will be tested by Spanish health authorities to ensure they remain asymptomatic and then transported to land in small boats.
The passengers will then board sealed-off buses to the island's main airport, about 10 minutes away, to board repatriation planes for heading to their respective countries.
The 22 British passengers on board are expected to be flown back to the UK the same day. It is understood they will be tested on the ship before they disembark and will then be taken directly from the ship to the plane.
On arrival, they will be taken to a hospital in Wirral, Merseyside, for “clinical assessment and testing”, health officials said. They will be held for 72 hours, after which specialists will decide whether they can isolate at home or another suitable location.
The ship’s arrival has been met with protest on the island, as residents fear possible exposure to the virus.
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Inside the military-style Tenerife operation to get passengers off the hantavirus cruise ship
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Key Points
- Breaking: Cruise ship hit by hantavirus outbreak arrives in Tenerife
- Passengers to be transferred in sealed vehicles, says WHO chief
- No mandatory quarantine for Americans, says CDC
- Spanish authorities prepare for the arrival of ship
- EU says all passengers on hantavirus-hit ship considered high-risk
- What are the symptoms of hantavirus and how is treated?
Evacuation to begin around 7.30am
06:00 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarThe evacuation of passengers and crew on board the cruise ship is expected to begin between 7.30 and 8.30am (6.30-7.00 GMT), according to Spanish authorities.
Spanish nationals are set to disembark first, with other nationalities to follow in groups, government officials said on Saturday.
Thirty crew members will remain on board and sail to the Netherlands, where the ship will be disinfected.
Cruise ship MV Hondius arrives at the port of Granadilla de Abona
05:54 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Passengers to be transferred in sealed vehicles, says WHO chief
05:50 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarPassengers will be ferried ashore at the industrial port of Granadilla, far from residential areas, in sealed, guarded vehicles, wrote World Health Organisation chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in a letter to the public published on X.
He said the passengers will be transferred through a completely cordoned-off corridor, and repatriated directly to their home countries. "You will not encounter them,” he added.
Breaking: Cruise ship hit by hantavirus outbreak arrives in Tenerife
05:44 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarThe cruise ship hit by a hantavirus outbreak has arrived near the Port of Granadilla in Tenerife, where it will anchor for the evacuation of the passengers and some of the crew.
The passengers, none of whom have displayed signs of infection, will be tested by Spanish health authorities to ensure they remain asymptomatic and then transported to land in small boats, according to Spanish officials.
Press awaits arrival of the cruise ship MV Hondius at the port of Granadilla de Abona
05:41 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
MV Hondius sails near El Medano in Tenerife
05:35 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
How will the passengers on board the virus-struck ship disembark?
05:30 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarThe Dutch-flagged MV Hondius, with more than 140 passengers and crew on board, is expected to arrive at port on the island of Tenerife imminently.
After the ship has been anchored, the passengers will be repatriated via flights chartered by their countries.
Those disembarking will leave behind their luggage, Spanish authorities said, adding they will be allowed to take only a small bag with essential items, a cellphone, charger and documentation.
Some crew, as well as the body of a passenger who died on board, will remain on the ship, which will sail on to the Netherlands, where it will undergo disinfection.
No mandatory quarantine for Americans, says CDC
05:10 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarA CDC official has said that the US government does not plan to quarantine the repatriated American cruise ship passengers upon arrival in Nebraska.
"We are not quarantining anybody," a CDC official told reporters.
At least 17 Americans are on board the hantavirus-struck cruise ship but none have tested positive for the virus.
The CDC confirmed the deployment of a team to Spain’s Canary Islands, where the ship was expected to arrive this morning, to meet the Americans onboard.
They said a second team will go to Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska as part of a plan to evacuate American passengers from the ship to a University of Nebraska quarantine centre for evaluation and monitoring.
When asked if passengers will be tested, a CDC official said, "it is not recommended to test people that do not have symptoms", ABC7 reported.
MV Hondius is expected to dock around 6am local time
05:01 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
EU health agency says all passengers on hantavirus-hit ship considered high-risk
04:50 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarAll passengers on the cruise ship hit by a deadly hantavirus outbreak are considered high-risk contacts as a precautionary measure, Europe's public health agency said ahead of the ship's expected anchoring on Sunday off the Spanish island of Tenerife.
Passengers without symptoms will be repatriated for self-quarantine via specially arranged transport, not regular commercial flights, by their respective countries, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control said on Saturday as part of its rapid scientific advice.
The agency urged symptomatic passengers to be prioritised for medical assessment and testing on arrival, adding they may isolate in Tenerife or be medically evacuated home, depending on their condition.
Tenerife residents worried as virus-struck ship nears port
04:20 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarResidents of Tenerife have shared concerns about the MV Hondius docking at the port even as health bodies across the world have sought to reassure residents of the Spanish island that the virus was "not another Covid".
“I tell you, I don’t like this very much,” said 69-year-old resident Simon Vidal. “Anyone can say what they want. Why did they have to bring a boat from another country here? Why not anywhere else, why bring it to the Canary Islands?”
“The truth is that it is very worrying,” said 27-year-old Venezuelan immigrant Samantha Aguero. She added: “We feel a bit unsafe, we don’t feel as there are 100 per cent security measures in place to welcome it. This is a virus after all and we have lived this during the pandemic. But we also need to have empathy.”
Spanish authorities prepare for the arrival of ship
04:07 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarSpanish authorities are preparing the port area in Tenerife to receive passengers from the cruise ship hit with a hantavirus outbreak.
The passengers will then be repatriated to the US, UK, France, Germany, Belgium, Ireland and the Netherlands.
"To assist those European Union countries that do not have air transport resources available, the European Civil Protection Mechanism has made two aircraft available, and the necessary flights for the transfer will be scheduled throughout the course of today, Saturday," Spanish home minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said yesterday.
He said the disembarkation will be carried out in groups based on nationality.
"Only when the aircraft bound for a specific country is on the runway, ready to fly to that country, will nationals of that country be disembarked and taken there, using transport provided by the Spanish army," the minister added.
Recap: What will happen to British passengers when they arrive in UK?
03:00 , Amy-Clare MartinBritish passengers and crew arriving from the hantavirus-struck cruise ship will be taken to a hospital in Wirral, Merseyside, for “clinical assessment and testing, health chiefs have confirmed.
They will be held for 72 hours, after which specialists will decide whether they can isolate at home for 45 days or another suitable location.
A joint statement from NHS England North West, NHS Cheshire and Merseyside ICB, Merseyside Police, North West Ambulance Service, and Wirral Council added: “In line with advice from the UK Health Security Agency, on arrival they will be taken to a managed setting for clinical assessment and testing. We expect this initial stay to be up to 72 hours.
“Following this, public health specialists will assess whether they can isolate at home or at another suitable location, based on their living arrangements. The risk to the general population remains very low.
“Our partner organisations are working together to ensure that all returning passengers are welcomed, comfortable and well supported throughout their stay.”
There are currently 22 British citizens - 19 passengers and three crew members - still aboard the vessel, which is expected to dock at Tenerife in the Canary Islands early tomorrow morning.
None of the passengers on the ship are showing symptoms of the virus, the chief of the World Health Organisation said earlier.
Hantavirus is giving me Covid flashbacks – so how worried should I be?
02:00 , Amy-Clare MartinIt’s as if, since Covid, we’ve all been on a collective red alert for the next big disease. We saw similar fears bubble up earlier this year during the meningitis outbreak in Kent, when pharmacies reported that they were running out of stock of the meningitis vaccine due to high demand.
Katie Rosseinsky reflects on whether we should all start stocking up on toilet roll:
Hantavirus is giving me Covid flashbacks – so how worried should I be?
In pictures: Protesters demonstrate ahead of the arrival of the hantavirus cruise ship
01:00 , Amy-Clare Martin
What are the symptoms of hantavirus and how is treated?
Saturday 9 May 2026 23:59 , Amy-Clare MartinWhat are the symptoms?
- Fever
- Extreme fatigue
- Muscle aches
- Stomach pain
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhoea
- Shortness of breath
- Symptoms usually appear between 2 to 4 weeks after being exposed to the virus, but there are reports of symptoms occurring up to 40 days after exposure.
How is the virus treated?
There is currently no vaccine or specific antiviral treatment for hantavirus infections.
Treatment is supportive and based on symptoms, such as hospital care and respiratory support for breathing difficulties.
'Risk to general public remains very low' - UKHSA
Saturday 9 May 2026 23:43 , Alex RossThe UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said on Saturday that the risk to the general public “remains very low”.
Professor Robin May, chief scientific officer at UKHSA, said: “We continue to work at pace with our international partners to ensure the safe repatriation of British nationals from the MV Hondius.
“The safety and wellbeing of those on board remains our number one priority. Established infection control measures will be in place at every step of the journey, and passengers will receive full support throughout, including during their period of isolation.”
Watch: Trump says hantavirus situation ‘under very good control’ ahead of Tenerife arrival
Saturday 9 May 2026 23:00 , Amy-Clare MartinPresident Donald Trump said the hantavirus outbreak was “under very good control” in comments as the MV Hondius was preparing to dock in Tenerife:
Outbreak caused by couple’s birdwatching trip to landfill site, experts fear
Saturday 9 May 2026 22:00 , Amy-Clare MartinThe deadly outbreak of hantavirus on a cruise ship may have been caused by a Dutch couple contracting the illness during a bird-watching outing in Ushuaia, Argentina, health officials fear.
Two Argentine officials investigating the origins of the outbreak on the ship, which sailed from southern Argentina, said this is now the government’s leading hypothesis.
The Independent’s Alex Croft has the full story:
Hantavirus cruise ship outbreak ‘possibly caused by couple’s birdwatching trip’
WHO director-general writes letter to reassure 'worried' Tenerife residents
Saturday 9 May 2026 21:00 , Amy-Clare MartinThe World Health Organisation (WHO) has sought to reassure “worried” Tenerife residents they will not encounter passengers of a hantavirus-hit cruise ship set to dock on the island.
The UN agency said there had been six confirmed hantavirus cases linked to the MV Hondius ship and that four patients were currently in hospital.
It added that a total of eight cases, including three deaths, had been reported – with one suspected case being reclassified after testing negative for hantavirus.
The WHO said on Saturday that there were currently no symptomatic passengers on board the ship.
In a letter addressed to the people of Tenerife, WHO director-general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he knew residents were “worried”, but added the outbreak was “not another Covid” and the “current public health risk from hantavirus remains low”.
To the people of Tenerife,
— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) May 9, 2026
My name is Tedros, and I serve as the Director-General of the @WHO, the @UN agency responsible for global public health. It is not common for me to write directly to the people of a single community, but today I feel it is not only appropriate, it is… pic.twitter.com/lx05ji4a79
Mapped: The countries affected by the cruise ship Hantavirus outbreak that has killed three people
Saturday 9 May 2026 20:30 , Harriette Boucher
Mapped: Countries affected by cruise ship Hantavirus outbreak that has killed three
Inside the military-style Tenerife operation to get passengers off the Hantavirus cruise ship
Saturday 9 May 2026 20:00 , Amy-Clare MartinThe plan to offload the remaining 147 passengers and crew on board MV Hondius travelling from Cape Verde to Tenerife has been planned down to the last minute and is also racing against the weather.
Read the full report from Renée Boskaljon in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria:
Inside the military-style Tenerife operation to evacuate the hantavirus cruise ship
Passengers must disembark before weather turns, officials warn
Saturday 9 May 2026 19:30 , Amy-Clare MartinThe operation to rescue passengers is facing tight window before weather conditions deteriorate.
The ship needs to leave the port by Monday and anyone still on board will have to stay on the ship as it continues its journey to the Netherlands, where it will be disinfected.
Alfonso Cabello, a spokesperson for the government of the Canary Islands, told reporters the operation will begin from dawn but passengers may not start being removed until midday.
"Operations would begin from dawn, once there is enough daylight to start working," he said. "We estimate, though this is a calculation that depends on flight availability and on anchoring a cruise ship of over 100 metres in length, that operations could begin around 12:00 noon."
Cabello stressed that weather conditions will make any manoeuvre impossible from Monday onwards — and with conditions not expected to improve until the end of May, there would be no second chance.
30 crew members and body will remain onboard
Saturday 9 May 2026 19:00 , Amy-Clare MartinThirty MV Hondius crew members will remain on board to continue the voyage to the Netherlands.
The Dutch authorities will then be responsible for disinfecting the vessel when it reaches port.
The body of a passenger who died on the ship will remain on board throughout the journey to the Netherlands.
In pictures: The operation to rescue passengers from hantavirus hit cruise ship
Saturday 9 May 2026 18:30 , Amy-Clare Martin
What will happen when the virus-stricken ship arrives?
Saturday 9 May 2026 18:00 , Amy-Clare MartinThe MV Hondius is expected to enter Canarian waters between 3am and 5am in the early hours of Sunday morning and anchor just outside the Port of Granadilla on Tenerife's southeastern coast.
Officials have planned a military-style operation to safely disembark 147 passengers from 22 countries still on board:
- The Hondius will anchor - not dock - and small vessels will ferry passengers ashore in groups of five into a restricted port area, where health-protected vehicles will be waiting
- The harbour is 13 minutes drive from the island’s South Airport, where the repatriation flights will depart
- The 22 British passengers on board are expected to be flown back to the UK the same day, where they will have to self-isolate for 45 days
Arrival of virus-stricken cruise ship to be met with protests
Saturday 9 May 2026 17:30 , Amy-Clare MartinThe arrival of the MV Hondius in the Canary Islands this weekend has caused uproar amongst its residents, who fear the virus will spread to shore.
The authorities have been met by protesters as they make last minute preparations to receive the controversial boat and process those on board.
The ship is expected to enter Canarian waters between 3am and 5am in the early hours of Sunday morning and anchor just outside the Port of Granadilla sits on Tenerife's southeastern coast.
Tensions rose sharply as the ship approached the Islands. Dozens protested in Gran Canaria on Thursday— the neighbouring island, while others gathered in Tenerife on Friday and Saturday.
“We all want passengers to return safely but we are worried how this is going to impact our health, and our businesses, which depend on tourism", says Patricia Fernández Bueno, 44, a holiday rental owner who lives in the town.
Elena Ruiz, spokesperson for the Tenerife port workers' union, told The Independent that around 55 union workers at the port of Granadilla will would not turn up to work on Saturday or Sunday, and islanders will also be gathering at the port in protest.
She said: "What's coming is a biological risk. There is an established protocol for smaller arrivals of migrant boats, but this is on a much larger scale — and there are not sufficient protocols to ensure the safety of those handling the arrival.”
What happens when the MV Hondius arrives in Tenerife?
Saturday 9 May 2026 17:00 , Harriette BoucherThe hantavirus-stricken cruise ship is due to dock in Tenerife on Sunday, and with it, the 140 passengers who have been stuck on the boat for weeks.
Health officials have said they will perform careful evacuations, and passengers will be taken to a “completely isolated, cordoned-off area.”
Both the UK and the US are sending planes to evacuate their citizens from the ship.
Once the vessel reaches Tenerife, passengers will be evacuated in small boats to buses only after their repatriation flights are ready to take them, Spanish officials said Friday.
Passengers will be transported in isolated and guarded vehicles, and the parts of the airport they travel through will be cordoned off.
Their impending arrival has been met with protest on the island, as residents fear for their safety.
But officials have sought to reassure the public in the Canary Islands about possible exposure to the virus among the general population.
Christian Lindmeier, a WHO spokesman, said: “The risk remains absolutely low,” adding: “This is not a new Covid.”
British arrivals will be taken to hospital for 'clinical assessment and testing'
Saturday 9 May 2026 16:24 , Amy-Clare MartinBritish passengers and crew arriving from the hantavirus struck cruise ship will be taken to a hospital for “clinical assessment and testing, health chiefs have confirmed.
They will be held for 72 hours, after which specialists will decide whether they can isolate at home or another suitable location.
A joint statement from NHS England North West, NHS Cheshire and Merseyside ICB, Merseyside Police, North West Ambulance Service, and Wirral Council added: “Organisations across Cheshire and Merseyside are working closely with colleagues from the UK Health Security Agency and other government bodies to support the repatriation of passengers from MV Hondius.
“In line with advice from the UK Health Security Agency, on arrival they will be taken to a managed setting for clinical assessment and testing. We expect this initial stay to be up to 72 hours.
“Following this, public health specialists will assess whether they can isolate at home or at another suitable location, based on their living arrangements. The risk to the general population remains very low.
“Our partner organisations are working together to ensure that all returning passengers are welcomed, comfortable and well supported throughout their stay.
“We would like to thank our staff and partners across the NHS, emergency services and local government for their professionalism and dedication in coordinating this response, and we will continue to work closely with the UK Health Security Agency and other partners throughout.”
British passengers to be taken to hospital in Merseyside, reports claim
Saturday 9 May 2026 16:17 , Amy-Clare MartinBritish passengers on the cruise ship at the centre of the hantavirus outbreak will be taken to isolate at a hospital in Merseyside, Sky News reports.
They will reportedly be transferred to Arrowe Park on the Wirral after they are repatriated.
The site was previously used for people returning from China at the start of the COVID pandemic in 2020, after being flown back to the UK.
There are currently 22 British citizens - 19 passengers and three crew members - still aboard the vessel, which is expected to dock at Tenerife in the Canary Islands early tomorrow morning.
None of the passengers on the ship are showing symptoms of the virus, the chief of the World Health Organisation said earlier.
Aboard the hantavirus-hit cruise ship, some passengers fear what awaits back home
Saturday 9 May 2026 16:00 , Harriette BoucherIn the days since the hantavirus outbreak aboard a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean, concern has taken hold among at least some of its Spanish passengers — but not so much because they fear contracting the illness. Rather, they are afraid of how they will be received back on land.
They have seen sensational news reports and devil-may-care memes ostracising the MV Hondius and those aboard, two passengers told The Associated Press by phone from the ship on Friday.
“You go onto social media – they want to dynamite the boat. They want to sink the boat,” a Spanish man on the ship told The Associated Press by phone.
He says he worries about being stigmatised as a viral vector to be avoided — or worse. He spoke on condition of anonymity because of these concerns, and another Spanish woman insisted on anonymity for the same reason.
“You see what’s out there and you realise you’re heading into the eye of a hurricane," she said. “Many people forget that in here there are more than 140 passengers. In reality, there are 140 human beings.”
Why are cruise ships prone to disease outbreaks? From hantavirus to COVID
Saturday 9 May 2026 15:30 , Harriette BoucherCruises are sold as floating holidays, but they are also useful for understanding public health. Cruise ships are carefully designed places where many people live, eat, relax and move through the same shared spaces for days at a time. They show how easily illness can spread when people are packed into a single interconnected environment.
Think of a cruise ship as a temporary city at sea. It has restaurants, theatres, lifts, cabins, kitchens, water systems and indoor gathering spaces. That is great for convenience, but it also means that once an infection gets on board, it can move through the ship in ways that are hard to stop.
The Diamond Princess outbreak is perhaps the best-known example. During the 2020 COVID outbreak, 619 passengers and crew tested positive for the disease. Researchers found that the ship conditions made the novel coronavirus spread more easily. Their modelling suggested that public health measures, such as isolation and quarantine, prevented many more cases, but it also showed that an earlier response would have further limited the outbreak.
Norovirus (the so-called vomiting bug) is the infection most closely linked to cruise ships. In a review of previously published studies, researchers found 127 reports of norovirus outbreaks on cruise ships, with many linked to contaminated food, contaminated surfaces and person-to-person spread. A more recent report from the US also showed that norovirus can spread very rapidly from person to person on a cruise ship.
This helps explain why ships such as Celebrity Mercury, Explorer of the Seas and Carnival Triumph have become familiar names in outbreak reports. These were not unusual in some special way; they were simply settings where shared dining, close contact and frequent movement through common areas allowed infection to spread fast.
Why are cruise ships prone to disease outbreaks? From hantavirus to COVID
How many Britons have been infected with hantavirus?
Saturday 9 May 2026 15:00 , Harriette BoucherBritish health authorities confirmed on Friday that a third British national aboard the MV Hondius was suspected of being infected with hantavirus.
The UK Health Security Agency said the person is on the island of Tristan da Cunha, a remote British overseas territory in the south Atlantic where the ship stopped in April.
Another two British men, one who was a doctor on the ship, are receiving treatment in the Netherlands and South Africa.
Martin Anstee, a 56 year old expedition guide, was one of the hantavirus patients evacuated from the boat on Wednesday.
The ship’s 41 year old British doctor was also removed.
Hantavirus is giving me Covid flashbacks – so how worried should I be?
Saturday 9 May 2026 14:30 , Harriette BoucherThe sight of people in hazmat suits alongside phrases like ‘self-isolation’ dominating the airwaves is bringing back troubling memories for Katie Rosseinsky, who considers whether we should all start stocking up on toilet roll:
Hantavirus is giving me Covid flashbacks – so how worried should I be?
Health experts write guidance to contain first ship-borne hantavirus outbreak
Saturday 9 May 2026 14:00 , Harriette BoucherAs the cruise ship hit by a hantavirus outbreak sails towards Tenerife, World Health Organization officials are racing to draw up step-by-step guidance for what should happen next for the nearly 150 passengers when they finally reach land on Sunday.
Because this is the first ever hantavirus outbreak recorded on a cruise ship, official say new protocols are needed.
WHO officials and hantavirus experts said the outbreak could be managed by adapting standard public health steps, like isolating sick passengers or those who may have been in contact with them.
None of the passengers on the ship now have symptoms, the ship's operator has said.
Officials are also seeking tips from Argentina, where a previous outbreak of the Andes virus, the same strain as on the ship, was snuffed out in 2019.
“If we follow public health measures and the lessons we learned from Argentina we can break this chain of transmission. This doesn't need to be a large epidemic,” Abdi Rahman Mahamud, director of the WHO's alert and response coordination department, said.
WHO warn six week incubation period could mean further hantavirus cases reported
Saturday 9 May 2026 13:30 , Harriette BoucherWhat are the symptoms of hantavirus and how is it treated?
Saturday 9 May 2026 13:00 , Harriette BoucherWhat are the symptoms?
- Fever
- Extreme fatigue
- Muscle aches
- Stomach pain
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhoea
- Shortness of breath
- Symptoms usually appear between 2 to 4 weeks after being exposed to the virus, but there are reports of symptoms occurring up to 40 days after exposure.
How is the virus treated?
There is currently no vaccine or specific antiviral treatment for hantavirus infections.
Treatment is supportive and based on symptoms, such as hospital care and respiratory support for breathing difficulties.
WHO chief arrives in Spain to coordinate evacuation
Saturday 9 May 2026 12:33 , Harriette BoucherSingapore says two cruise ship passengers test negative for hantavirus
Saturday 9 May 2026 12:30 , Harriette BoucherThe Independent’s Alisha Rahaman Sarkar writes:
Two Singaporeans who were on board the MV Hondius cruise ship struck by a hantavirus outbreak have tested negative for the virus, the island nation’s Communicable Diseases Agency (CDA) has confirmed.
The CDA's public health laboratory conducted testing on multiple samples collected from the individuals and confirmed that hantavirus, including the Andes virus, was not detected, it said.
The Singaporeans on board the MV Hondius – two men aged 67 and 65 – were isolated at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases. They were on board the cruise ship when it departed from the Argentinian port of Ushuaia on 1 April, the CDA said in a statement.
The duo will be quarantined for 30 days from the date of last exposure as an added precaution and will undergo further testing before being released. They will then be monitored through phone surveillance for the remainder of 45 days, the maximum incubation period for hantavirus exposure.
"The risk to the general public in Singapore remains low," the agency said, adding it was closely monitoring the situation.
Singapore says two cruise ship passengers test negative for hantavirus
WHO chief arrives in Spain ahead of passenger disembarkation from Hantavirus cruise ship
Saturday 9 May 2026 12:13 , Harriette BoucherThe head of the World Health Organisation has touched down in Spain today, where he will join senior government officials in Tenerife to oversee the evacuation of passengers on the hantavirus-hit cruise ship.
Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebrey said he was in contact with the ship's captain and a WHO colleague that is on board the boat.
There are no additional people on board showing symptoms of Hantavirus, he said.
What has Trump said about the hantavirus outbreak?
Saturday 9 May 2026 12:00 , Harriette BoucherDonald Trump said yesterday that hantavirus was “under very good control” in the US.
”We have it,” he told reporters. “We have very good people looking at it. It seems to be okay. They know the virus very well, they’ve worked with it for a long time.
“[It’s] not easy to pass on. We hope that’s true.”
He added it was “not easily transferable, unlike Covid.”
Asked if the US would consider leaving the World Health Organisation over the outbreak, he said: “No, we seem to have things under very good control.”
In an update on Friday, the US centre for disease control (CDC), said: “To date, no cases of Andes virus have been reported in the United States as a result of this outbreak.
“At this time, the overall risk to travellers and the American public remains extremely low. Routine travel can continue as normal.
“CDC is working with the US state department and other US government partners to get Americans on the ship home as quickly and as safely as possible.”
European countries sending planes to collect citizens from hantavirus ship
Saturday 9 May 2026 11:57 , Harriette BoucherSeveral European governments will be sending planes to Tenerife on Sunday to evacuate nationals on the hantavirus-hit cruise ship
Spain's interior minister has confirmed that Germany, France, Belgium, Ireland, and the Netherlands are among the countries sending aircraft.
The US and UK have also confirmed planes and contingency plans were being arranged for non-EU citizens whose countries were unable to send air transport, Fernando Grande-Marlaska said.
He added that the European Union is sending two further planes for the remaining European citizens.
WHO reacts to fears of a COVID-style hantavirus pandemic
Saturday 9 May 2026 11:30 , Harriette BoucherWhat happens when the MV Hondius arrives in Tenerife?
Saturday 9 May 2026 11:00 , Harriette BoucherThe hantavirus-stricken cruise ship is due to dock in Tenerife on Sunday, and with it, the 140 passengers who have been stuck on the boat for weeks.
Health officials have said they will perform careful evacuations, and passengers will be taken to a “completely isolated, cordoned-off area.”
Both the UK and the US are sending planes to evacuate their citizens from the ship.
Once the vessel reaches Tenerife, passengers will be evacuated in small boats to buses only after their repatriation flights are ready to take them, Spanish officials said Friday.
Passengers will be transported in isolated and guarded vehicles, and the parts of the airport they travel through will be cordoned off.
Their impending arrival has been met with protest on the island, as residents fear for their safety.
But officials have sought to reassure the public in the Canary Islands about possible exposure to the virus among the general population.
Christian Lindmeier, a WHO spokesman, said: “The risk remains absolutely low,” adding: “This is not a new Covid.”
Watch: Trump says hantavirus situation ‘under very good control’
Saturday 9 May 2026 16:43 , Amy-Clare MartinIn pictures: Protestors in Tenerife take to the streets to oppose the arrival of the Hantavirus ship
Saturday 9 May 2026 10:30 , Harriette Boucher WHO says risk of contagion from cruise ship 'absolutely low'
Saturday 9 May 2026 10:00 , Adam WithnallThe World Health Organisation considers the risk to the wider public from the outbreak as low.
On Friday, the WHO said a flight attendant on a plane briefly boarded by an infected cruise passenger has tested negative for hantavirus. Her possible infection had raised concerns about the virus’ potential transmissibility.
The flight attendant’s negative result should ease concerns among the public, said Christian Lindmeier, a WHO spokesman. “The risk remains absolutely low,” he said. “This is not a new Covid.”
Hantavirus is usually spread by the inhalation of contaminated rodent droppings and isn’t easily transmitted between people. But the Andes virus detected in the cruise ship outbreak may be able to spread between people in rare cases. Symptoms usually show between one and eight weeks after exposure.
Health authorities across four continents were tracking down and monitoring more than two dozen passengers who disembarked the ship before the deadly outbreak was detected. They were also scrambling to trace others who may have come into contact with them.
Passengers fear being ostracised after disembarking
Saturday 9 May 2026 09:15 , Adam WithnallIn interviews with The Associated Press, two Spanish passengers — speaking on condition of anonymity because of fears they’ll be ostracised once on land — said that despite the outbreak, their days aboard have passed with relative tranquility.
Some people are bird-watching, and others are gathering in common areas to read or attend talks, while wearing masks and social distancing. Both passengers told AP they’re worried about how they’ll be treated in Spain and once home.
“We’re scared by all the news that’s coming out, by how people are going to receive us, by how people see us,” one said. “We’re just normal people. We’ve heard that this is a millionaires’ cruise, and it’s the complete opposite of reality. And we’re scared by this.”
Spanish authorities prepare to receive virus-stricken ship
Saturday 9 May 2026 08:24 , Adam WithnallSpanish authorities on Friday were preparing to receive more than 140 passengers and crew members on board a hantavirus-stricken cruise ship headed for the Canary Islands, where health officials have said they will perform careful evacuations.
The vessel is expected to arrive Sunday at the Spanish island of Tenerife, off the coast of West Africa, and passengers will be taken to a “completely isolated, cordoned-off area,” said the head of Spain's emergency services, Virginia Barcones.
Both the US and the UK have agreed to send planes to evacuate their citizens from the cruise ship.
