Four Ukrainians among crew members sent to quarantine in Rotterdam due to hantavirus on the liner - conditions revealed

Four Ukrainians are among the crew members of the cruise liner MV Hondius who are going into quarantine after the vessel's arrival at the Dutch port of Rotterdam, NOS and De Telegraaf report, according to UNN.

Details

The cruise ship Hondius, affected by hantavirus, has returned to the Netherlands. It arrived at the port of Rotterdam, where it will be cleaned and disinfected.

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The Hondius is moored in Rotterdam because this port has been designated as the quarantine port for the Netherlands. A large number of international press representatives arrived for the ship's arrival. News agencies such as AP and Reuters provided a live broadcast of the docking.

As reported, the pier in the port where the liner arrived is cordoned off with fences and screens.

When the ship arrived at the port of Rotterdam, there were 25 crew members and 2 medical workers on board. None of them, as stated, have "symptoms of hantavirus."

Crew in quarantine and their living conditions

At Calandsteiger 7, a closed part of the port, 23 white "cottages" equipped with TV, Wi-Fi, a bathroom, a washing machine, and a refrigerator are ready to accommodate the foreign passengers of the Dutch cruise ship Hondius. They can remain here in quarantine until June 18, provided they cannot be repatriated. These individuals must follow strict rules but are free to move around the territory. The crew consists of people from the Philippines (17), Ukraine (4), Russia (1), and Poland (1).

De Telegraaf also reports that the crew is heading into quarantine.

For the remaining 23 foreign crew members arriving from the Philippines, Ukraine, Russia, and Poland, a six-week quarantine period is provided. This period began on May 6, so it will last no later than June 17. For this purpose, 23 portable cabins have been prepared in Rotterdam. In principle, the crew members will remain there unless their country repatriates them,

"Quarantine blocks have been set up on the pier where the foreign crew members must stay for the next six weeks. Immediately upon arrival, blood tests will be taken; in the following period, they will be in daily contact with the Municipal Health Service (GGD). They are provided with internet access, garden furniture for good weather, and are offered mental health counseling for psychological support. Medical personnel dressed in special protective white suits are on board."

According to the GGD (Municipal Health Service), meals are available for the crew members, refrigerators are fully stocked, and inside, among other things, there are washing machines and showers. They are provided with internet access, garden furniture for good weather, and are offered mental health counseling for psychological support, de Volkskrant also indicates. Yvonne van Duijnhoven, director of GGD Rotterdam-Rijnmond, stated: "These are a kind of tiny houses, right in the middle of the harbor. They can heat up their own food, and there are Wi-Fi hotspots so they can contact their families."

Two crew members are Dutch citizens who will be quarantined at home. It is also noted that during the final stage of the journey, the crew was accompanied by a Dutch doctor and nurse. As De Telegraaf writes, the medical workers "were already protected when they arrived on board."

The body of a German woman who died in early May was also still in the ship's morgue. The remains of Dutch citizens were repatriated earlier. For privacy reasons, the ship's operator, Oceanwide Expeditions, cannot disclose why the German woman was not removed from the ship sooner. However, Yvonne van Duijnhoven reports that the woman will be taken to a crematorium near Schiphol Airport on Monday. "This will be done with all precautions, such as double body bags. After consultation with the family, it was decided that she would be cremated there; it is safer," she said.

People from the ship were to be tested again upon arrival. The Rotterdam GGD was to test the crew and medical staff in special facilities near the pier. Blood samples had already been taken on board.

Once the entire crew has disembarked, general cleaning can begin. It was announced yesterday that this will be handled by the company EWS Group from Werkendam, which specializes, among other things, in pest control.

"First, all bed linen is removed. Then we clean all surfaces, from the cabins and restaurant to the kitchen and lounge areas. Everything is disinfected manually using products based on hydrogen peroxide or chlorine," the company says. According to them, places like the bar, counter, and buffet are the highest risk areas: "Because a lot of saliva is released there. After manual cleaning, everything is sprayed with hydrogen peroxide."

The large-scale cleaning and disinfection operation, according to the GGD, will last until Friday.

According to Van Duijnhoven, the cleaning process is very thorough: "For example, waste is incinerated immediately and thus destroyed. This also applies to items such as bed linen and mattresses."

A spokesperson for Oceanwide Expeditions, the owner of the cruise liner, could not say today when the Hondius would set sail again: "It depends on the cleaning process."

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