00:01The Spanish government on Tuesday said it will receive the MV Hondias cruise ship with
00:06Hantavirus cases.
00:08The ship was set to travel from Cape Verde to the Canary Islands on Wednesday.
00:12The government said it will also receive a medical flight carrying the ship's doctor,
00:17a Dutch national who it said was gravely ill.
00:20Six passengers were transferred from the ship berthed at the Praia port in Cape Verde on
00:25Tuesday to a boat and three of them infected with the virus were evacuated in two air ambulances.
00:32The World Health Organization, in coordination with the European Union, requested Spain to
00:37accept the ship.
00:39The remaining passengers and crew are expected to arrive in Spain within three to four days,
00:43although the exact port has yet to be confirmed.
00:46Upon arrival, all passengers and crew will undergo medical checks and be handled through special
00:52transport and facilities, with measures in place to avoid contact with the public.
00:57The Spanish government said Cape Verde does not have the capacity to manage the situation,
01:02making the Canary Islands the nearest suitable location.
01:06WHO said it suspects some rare human-to-human transmission took place between very close
01:12contacts on board the ship that was hit by seven confirmed or suspected Hantavirus cases.
01:17A Dutch couple and a German national have died, while a British national was evacuated from
01:23the ship and is in intensive care in South Africa.
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