Irish citizens to fly home from hantavirus-stricken ship
Two Irish citizens who were stranded on a hantavirus-stricken cruise ship are set to fly home and quarantine as passengers begin to evacuate.
A group of Spanish nationals have started to disembark the ship into a small boat, which is headed to Tenerife’s Port of Granadilla.
They will then leave the port in military buses, directly travel to the airport and be evacuated by a Spanish government plane to Madrid.
Two Irish citizens who are stranded on a hantavirus-stricken cruise ship are set to fly home. Pic: Andres Gutierrez/Anadolu via Getty Images
Spanish officials have stated that the passengers will be taken to hospital and quarantined.
Meanwhile, the two Irish citizens on the ship are expected to be flown home to Ireland by air ambulance and quarantine in a HSE facility.
It will likely take around six weeks for the two women to be fully quarantined to ensure that they are not carrying the infection.
It will likely take around six weeks for the two women to be fully quarantined. Pic: AFP via Getty Images
Officials in the Department of Health and the HSE are reportedly examining whether the women can be quarantined at home or must be in a medical facility.
Safe and socially distanced transport home from the ship is currently being arranged for the pair by Irish officials and Spanish and EU authorities.
The ship, the MV Hondius, reached the island of Tenerife on Sunday and will soon be docked. All passengers will be tested before they disembark the ship.
The first passengers have started to be evacuated from the ship. Pic: Antonio Sempere / AFP via Getty Images
On Saturday night, the Department of Health stated: ‘We understand that the two Irish passengers are currently well. Public health protocols will be followed once the ship has docked with regard to certification and assessment of the health of passengers. This will be overseen by the ECDC and the Spanish authorities.
‘Repatriation plans have been put in place by the Irish Government to transfer the two Irish passengers directly from Tenerife to Ireland upon disembarkation, contingent on their health status.
‘On arrival in Ireland, they will be safely transferred to a HSE facility. They will need to quarantine for a period of time, in line with ECDC guidance and will be actively monitored during this time. If they become symptomatic, they will be assessed and treated as appropriate.’
The department added that the risk to public health is low as it continues to monitor the ship’s status.
Eight passengers have been confirmed to have contracted the hantavirus and three of them have died.
