94 passengers from the MV Hondius cruise ship disembark in Tenerife after the hantavirus outbreak

Published at: 10/05/2026 06:34 PM

Under a strict biological safety protocol, a total of 94 passengers of 19 nationalities disembarked this Sunday, May 10, at the port of Granadilla, Tenerife. The operation responds to the health crisis unleashed aboard the polar expedition vessel MV Hondius, where an outbreak of the “Andes” variant of the hantavirus has claimed the lives of three people and kept the World Health Organization (WHO) on alert.

The Spanish Minister of Health, Mónica García, oversaw the deployment and confirmed the complexity of the day to the media. “Today we had a very intense day, as you well know. Ninety-four people have disembarked of nineteen nationalities,” said the official, stressing that the operation seeks to ensure the safe repatriation of travelers to their countries of origin without compromising local public health.

The outbreak, which originated after the departure of the ship from Ushuaia, Argentina, on April 1, has generated political tensions between the central government and the Canary Islands authorities. However, the minister reaffirmed the strength of the activated protocols: “We have monitored the situation of MV Hondius together with the WHO... health teams are protecting public health with all the guarantees”.

The evacuation device included direct transfers from the pier to Tenerife South airport, from where special flights have been coordinated. In the case of the 14 Spanish citizens who were on board, they are expected to be transferred to Madrid to carry out a preventive quarantine at the Gómez Ulla Central Defense Hospital, despite the fact that they have so far remained asymptomatic.

Mazo News Team