Cruise ship hit by hantavirus outbreak arrives in Rotterdam
Hondius cruise liner (photo: Wikipedia/Stefan Brending)
Cruise liner MV Hondius, affected by the hantavirus outbreak, is expected to dock at the Port of Rotterdam this morning. This will be its final destination, Reuters reports.
It is known that Dutch authorities introduced quarantine measures for 25 crew members and two workers who remain on board.
According to a statement from local authorities, quarantine centers were also created for some crew members who are not citizens of the Netherlands. However, it is still unclear whether they will remain there for the entire 42-day quarantine period.
Some Dutch citizens expressed concern over the arrival of the vessel in Rotterdam. They fear that people may not be able to follow quarantine rules, but told Reuters they do not expect a new pandemic.
What preceded this
On May 2, vessel MV Hondius stopped near Cape Verde, its intended final destination, after authorities banned passengers from going ashore due to the hantavirus outbreak.
The World Health Organization and European Union asked Spain to organize an evacuation to the Canary Islands, after which the vessel headed to Rotterdam with a minimal crew and two additional medical workers.
Initially, a luxury cruise liner carried about 150 passengers and crew members from 23 countries. But on May 2, the World Health Organization first learned about the outbreak among passengers.
Since the beginning of the hantavirus outbreak, three people have died: a married couple from the Netherlands and a citizen of Germany.
