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MV Hondius Arrives Off Tenerife for Coordinated Evacuation After Hantavirus Cases
The Dutch-flagged cruise ship arrived off Granadilla de Abona early on May 10, 2026, after a deadly Andes hantavirus outbreak that killed three. Spanish authorities began disembarking passengers from 23 nations, with the first group already flown out. Spain's health minister said all repatriation flights will depart by Monday and that risk to the local population remains low.
May 10, 5:52 AM·2m read42 sources
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The MV Hondius arrived at the port of Granadilla de Abona on the Spanish island of Tenerife early on May 10, 2026, after a month-long deadly hantavirus outbreak. The ship dropped anchor roughly one nautical mile from shore and remains isolated at sea, barred from docking.
Disembarkation of the first group of passengers began shortly after dawn, with the initial plane carrying evacuated passengers having already left Tenerife by midday.
Spanish passengers and one crew member were the first to leave the vessel. Thirteen Spanish nationals and the crew member were transferred in small boats to sealed buses for the short trip to the airport. Health officials assessed all passengers on board to confirm they remained asymptomatic before any left the ship.
Spain's health minister Monica Garcia said 23 countries are involved in the evacuation of the hantavirus-stricken cruise ship MV Hondius. Garcia added that all passenger repatriation flights from the MV Hondius will take off by Monday. She stated the risk of contagion for the general population is low and that alarmism, misinformation and confusion run counter to basic principles of public health.
The President of the Canary Islands said he "won't be calm" until all of the passengers and crew members have left the island. European nations dispatched planes to evacuate their citizens. The 22 Britons aboard were set to be flown back to the UK on May 10.
Upon arrival they will be taken to a Wirral hospital for clinical assessment and testing, where they will stay for 72 hours before specialists decide on further isolation measures. Three people have died in the hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius. Andes hantavirus has a fatality rate of about 40 percent.
The ship departed from Cabo Verde on Wednesday after three people were evacuated there. The outbreak began nearly a month earlier and is the first of its kind recorded on a cruise ship. The World Health Organization held a media briefing on disembarkation of passengers and crew from the MV Hondius in Tenerife.
