One of the 17 American passengers who were evacuated from a cruise ship in the Canary Islands has tested positive for the hantavirus, as confirmed by U.S. health officials on Sunday. The individual, however, is asymptomatic.
The group of Americans was airlifted from the MV Hondius after it docked in Tenerife, the largest island in the Canary Islands. They were scheduled to land in Omaha, Nebraska, early Monday.
Upon arrival, the passengers will be taken to the University of Nebraska for evaluation in a federally funded quarantine facility. The purpose is to determine if they had close contact with any symptomatic individuals and assess the risk of virus transmission.
According to Kayla Thomas, a spokesperson for The Nebraska Medical Center, one passenger who tested positive for the hantavirus will be transferred to the Nebraska Biocontainment Unit upon arrival. The rest will be sent to the National Quarantine Unit for monitoring and assessment, even though they do not display any symptoms.
The MV Hondius arrived in Tenerife on Sunday morning, and Spanish authorities began evacuating passengers by nationality, ferrying them to the port on small boats. The World Health Organization aimed to complete the evacuation of the ship, with the exception of 30 crew members who remained on board, by 7 pm on Monday.
Passengers were instructed to leave their belongings on the ship and were only allowed to carry essential items like phones and passports in a small bag.
In other news, the Director-General of the World Health Organization, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, announced that most passengers and crew from the MV Hondius had disembarked successfully.
British travelers returning to the UK will undergo a 14-day self-isolation period and are advised against using public transportation to reach their homes. After isolation, health authorities will determine if passengers can self-isolate at home based on their living conditions.
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper expressed gratitude for the collaborative efforts between the UK, Spain, South Africa, the Netherlands, and the WHO to ensure the safe return of passengers from the MV Hondius.
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