Twenty-Two Britons from Hantavirus-Hit Cruise Ship to Isolate at Arrowe Park Hospital
British passengers and staff from a cruise ship affected by a hantavirus outbreak are to be transferred to a UK hospital for isolation. Arrowe Park Hospital on the Wirral, Merseyside, previously served as a quarantine site at the outset of the Covid-19 pandemic.
MV Hondius Passengers to Return
The MV Hondius is anticipated to dock in the Canary Islands this weekend. Following its arrival, the remaining 22 British individuals on board are scheduled to return to the UK via a charter flight.
To date, five cases of hantavirus have been confirmed in connection with the vessel. One of the three passenger fatalities during the cruise on the Dutch-flagged ship has been attributed to the virus. Two British men with confirmed cases are currently undergoing treatment in the Netherlands and South Africa, while a third British national is being treated for a suspected case on the remote Atlantic island of Tristan da Cunha, where the ship made a stop in mid-April.
A joint statement from NHS England North West, NHS Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board, Merseyside Police, North West Ambulance Service, and Wirral Council confirmed the arrangements. The statement outlined that upon arrival, the individuals would be taken to a managed setting for clinical assessment and testing, with an initial stay expected to last up to 72 hours. Public health specialists will then determine whether home isolation or another suitable location is appropriate, based on living arrangements.
The authorities emphasised that the risk to the general population remains very low. The World Health Organization reported on Saturday that there were no symptomatic passengers remaining aboard the vessel.