UK Passengers on Hantavirus-Hit Cruise to be Quarantined in Merseyside

The Hantavirus Outbreak on Cruise Ship MV Hondius

Passengers from the UK who are on board the hantavirus-afflicted cruise ship heading for Tenerife will be flown to Merseyside on Sunday for hospital quarantine.

Quarantine Measures for UK Passengers

The 19 British passengers and three crew will be transferred to Arrowe Park hospital in Wirral, which hosted British people returning from China at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Screening and Evacuation Plans

• All 146 passengers of the MV Hondius will be screened for the infection in Tenerife on Sunday morning before being transferred to their home countries.
• The polar cruise ship is heading to the Canary Islands after spending days stranded off the coast of Praia, the capital of Cape Verde.

WHO's Assessment of the Risk

The director general of the World Health Organization, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, described hantavirus as “serious” but said the “risk is low”.

Future Outlook and Precautions

Passengers are being asked to isolate for 42 days from their point of potential exposure. The accommodation block on the Arrowe Park hospital site will provide a safe place for their isolation period.