Spain's Canary Islands leader opposes docking of hantavirus-hit cruise ship

The leader of Spain’s Canary Islands regional government, Fernando Clavijo, on Wednesday rejected allowing a cruise ship affected by a deadly hantavirus outbreak to dock in the archipelago, and called for an urgent meeting with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, News.Az reports, citing Xinhua.

Clavijo criticized the central government’s decision to accept the vessel in the Canary Islands, saying it did not meet “technical criteria” and that regional authorities had not received enough information to ensure public safety.

“We will do everything possible to prevent the ship from coming to the Canary Islands,” Clavijo said.

The Dutch-operated cruise ship MV Hondius is currently located near Cape Verde after being refused permission to dock there following the outbreak on board.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), seven confirmed or suspected cases have been identified on the vessel, including three deaths. The WHO states that people are typically infected with hantavirus through contact with infected rodents or their urine, droppings, or saliva. It also said it is investigating the possibility of rare human-to-human transmission involving the Andes strain of the virus.

Spain’s health ministry confirmed on Tuesday that the country would accept the vessel in the Canary Islands “in accordance with international law and humanitarian principles,” following requests from the WHO and the European Union.

Spanish authorities added that strict health and isolation protocols would be applied once the ship arrives, with medical teams responsible for passenger screening, treatment, and repatriation procedures.

News.Az 

By Nijat Babayev