[55413] Concern over Hantavirus outbreak on cruise ship 'MV Hondius': International evacuation operation
[55413] Concern over Hantavirus outbreak on cruise ship 'MV Hondius': International evacuation operation
A complex international evacuation operation is underway for the passengers of the Dutch ship MV Hondius following the diagnosis of Hantavirus cases on board.
Hantavirus outbreak on MV Hondius ship: World on alert
A large-scale international evacuation operation is underway globally following the discovery of Hantavirus cases on board the Dutch passenger ship MV Hondius. According to reports from Son Dakika Haberler Gündem, one passenger from the United States was evacuated from the ship after testing positive for the virus. At the same time, it was reported by Sputnik Türkiye that a group of Dutch passengers evacuated from the ship in Tenerife has already landed at Eindhoven Airport in the Netherlands.
The situation surrounding the ship has caused great tension, as according to Haber Gündem, images from the evacuation prompted media outlets to draw comparisons to scenes from the COVID-19 pandemic. The report added that one French passenger developed symptoms during the evacuation, and that 3 Turkish citizens were among those evacuated on a flight from Spain. As part of the international response, Sputnik Türkiye notes that the UK even air-dropped medical equipment to the island of Tristan da Cunha, as the ship had docked there before the outbreak.
World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom tried to calm the nerves in information brought by Sondakika Haber Gündem, and declared: "This is not another Corona." According to him, the passengers are being moved along secure routes away from population centers in order to prevent spread. However, reports from Sondakika Haber Gündem indicate that many countries, including the US, the UK, and five European Union countries, are preparing for separate evacuation operations for their citizens on the ship.