The MV Hondius — the Oceanwide Expeditions ship — is expected to dock in the Canary Islands this weekend, with the remaining 22 Britons due to fly home on a charter flight soon after
British passengers and crew aboard the MV Hondius will be tested for hantavirus before returning to the UK after the outbreak onboard the vessel.
The ship is due to dock in Tenerife this weekend, with the remaining 22 Britons expected to fly home shortly afterwards on a charter flight. Five cases of hantavirus have been confirmed during the cruise, including one linked to the deaths of three passengers.
Two British men with confirmed infections are being treated in the Netherlands and South Africa, while another Briton is receiving care for a suspected case on Tristan da Cunha, where the ship stopped in April. Ahead of the vessel’s arrival on Sunday, UK officials have been preparing plans to repatriate British nationals. Spanish health authorities are expected to test passengers and crew onboard when the ship docks. Anyone showing symptoms will be taken to hospital, while those without symptoms will be flown directly back to Britain, likely on the same day.
Although no other Britons onboard are currently showing symptoms, they will be asked to self-isolate and carry out regular tests for 45 days after returning to the UK. Isolation will be voluntary rather than legally enforced, and medical staff will be available to assist with blood testing.
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Among those evacuated was Martin Anstee, a 56-year-old expedition guide and former police officer, who was flown to the Netherlands alongside a Dutch crew member and a German passenger. He remains in a stable condition and said he was “fine”.
Another British passenger, aged 69, was medically evacuated to South Africa at the end of April after testing positive for hantavirus. He remains in intensive care but is reported to be improving.
Two additional British nationals are already voluntarily isolating at home in the UK after possible exposure to the virus. Neither has developed symptoms.
They were among 30 passengers from around 12 countries — including seven Britons — who left the ship on St Helena on 24 April, according to operator Oceanwide Expeditions. The company said the first confirmed hantavirus case was not identified until 4 May and that all former passengers had since been contacted.
Four Britons who disembarked on St Helena are still on the island. None are symptomatic, but they remain in touch with health officials, and additional medical support is expected to be sent there.
A military aircraft has also arrived at Ascension Island carrying testing kits, oxygen supplies and other medical equipment. Medical teams are expected to transport the supplies onwards to St Helena and Tristan da Cunha.
Health authorities in several countries, including Switzerland and the Netherlands, are carrying out contact tracing for dozens of passengers who left the ship before the outbreak was discovered.
The World Health Organization described the outbreak as a “serious incident” but said the overall risk to the wider public remained low, adding that the situation was not comparable to the Covid-19 pandemic.
