US to Evacuate Passengers From Hantavirus Cruise Ship as WHO Chief Travels to Quarantine Island
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Seventeen Americans will be among 150 people evacuated from cruise ship MV Hondius after a hantavirus outbreak. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyeus assured the public that this virus is «not a new COVID-19».
The ship will arrive at the Canary Islands of Spain on Sunday. The WHO chief will arrive there shortly after. In a long message on social media, he wrote: «I know you are worried. I know that when you hear the word 'outbreak' and see a ship sailing towards your shores, memories that none of us have fully let go of resurface». But he emphasized: the risk to public health remains low.
WHO Chief on Site
Tedros said he would personally visit Tenerife to observe the operation and «express appreciation to the island, which has responded to a complex situation with grace, solidarity, and compassion». He added: «The best immunity that each of us has is solidarity».
Despite assurances, the WHO chief warned: the virus on board MV Hondius is the Andes strain. It is serious. Three people died, and we offer our condolences to their families. The US government plans to evacuate American passengers to a military base in Nebraska for quarantine and monitoring.