The MV Hondius, with at least three deaths and multiple infections, will be permitted to disembark passengers in the Canaries after Spain's Health Ministry agreed to host the vessel.
8:03 AM
Spain's Health Ministry announced Wednesday that it will allow the MV Hondius cruise ship to dock in the Canary Islands, overriding objections from the region's government over an ongoing hantavirus outbreak aboard the vessel.
The ministry said in a statement that Spain had agreed to "host the MV Hondius in the Canary Islands in compliance with International Law and humanitarian spirit" at the request of the World Health Organization and the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control. The ship was expected to depart Cape Verde upon completion of a thorough examination of passengers and crew.
The outbreak has killed at least three people and sickened multiple others aboard the Dutch-flagged vessel. South African health authorities identified the Andes strain of hantavirus in two passengers who were on the cruise ship. The Andes strain can be transmitted from person to person, although this is thought to be rare.
Among those stranded aboard are 149 British, American and passengers from 20 other countries, with approximately 14 Spanish citizens among them. The ship has been anchored off Santiago, the main island of Cape Verde, which declined to allow the vessel to dock on Monday, citing public health protection grounds.
The Canary Islands regional government strongly opposed the decision. Fernando Clavijo, the region's president, told local media outlet Onda Cero on Wednesday: "I cannot allow it to enter the Canary Islands." Clavijo criticized the Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's government, claiming the decision was "not based on any technical criteria, nor is there sufficient information to reassure the public or guarantee their safety."
Clavijo also accused the government of showing "institutional disloyalty," stating that Madrid had not kept him informed and calling for an urgent meeting. Manuel Domínguez, the vice president of the Canary Islands government, also expressed reservations about the ship docking in the region.
The Spanish Health Ministry countered that "Spain has a moral and legal obligation to assist these people, among whom are also several Spanish citizens." The ministry stated it would make decisions about which port would be most appropriate based on epidemiological data obtained during the ship's passage through Cape Verde.
A German national from the cruise ship was being transported to Germany for precautionary testing, according to reports. The woman showed no symptoms at the time of transport.
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