Spain has stated that the remaining evacuated passengers from the cruise liner affected by hantavirus will fly on a single aircraft, according to a government update regarding the evacuation of passengers and crew aboard the MV Hondius, UNN reports, citing Sky News.
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All 22 individuals disembarking from the cruise liner will be transported from Tenerife on the same aircraft arriving from the Netherlands, the statement said.
Previously, it was expected that the final two repatriation flights would take place today—one to Australia and the other to the Netherlands.
Following the same measures as yesterday, the group will not be removed from the ship until the aircraft arrives at the nearest airport, Tenerife South.
A press release from the Spanish government states that 54 people still remain on board the ship. The other 32 people will remain on board for its transit to the port of Rotterdam.
Shortly thereafter, Spanish Health Minister Mónica García provided slightly different figures on X, stating that 28 people would disembark while 26 would remain on board.
The port of Granadilla de Abona, where the ship was anchored and passengers and crew were brought ashore, will be disinfected after the ship sails and the plane takes off.
Meanwhile, the WHO has updated information on the number of virus cases, but the report from the US is not included.
The World Health Organization reported that nine cases have been registered during the outbreak so far, with seven confirmed cases of hantavirus. This figure is one higher than previous updates; the latest case was confirmed in France, the World Health Organization reported.
The French Health Minister announced that a woman is receiving treatment in a hospital and her condition has "deteriorated" after returning from Tenerife and testing positive for the virus.
First case of hantavirus in France detected in evacuated cruise ship passenger11.05.26, 10:00
Notably, this figure does not include reports from US officials that an American woman tested "weakly positive" for the virus but showed no symptoms.
This individual was one of 17 Americans who were on board the MV Hondius and arrived in the US this morning.
The Spanish government also disputed the US case, stating that it "does not consider it definitive."
Meanwhile, according to Spain's civil protection agency, the cruise ship MV Hondius is scheduled to depart from the port of Tenerife today at 7:00 PM local time.
The cruise ship has been in Granadilla de Abona since early yesterday morning.
Refueling of the vessel has been completed, and the loading of provisions is underway, the agency reported on X.
The ship's operator, Oceanwide Expeditions, previously stated that the vessel would replenish "necessary supplies" in the city of Santa Cruz, further north on the island, before proceeding to the port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands.
There, the vessel and its contents, including passenger luggage, will undergo disinfection.