Three people were medically evacuated from the cruise ship at the center of a deadly hantavirus outbreak on Wednesday as one passenger revealed everyone aboard is doing their best to limit contact with each other and follow proper safety protocols.
Subscribe to read this story ad-free
Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.
The World Health Organization said three passengers have died after contracting the Andes strain of the virus, which is known to be transmissible between people. The strain is found in parts of Argentina, where the luxury cruise ship MV Hondius departed.
In a Wednesday update, the WHO said that there were eight cases. Three of the cases were confirmed as hantavirus by laboratory testing, and five were suspected.
Despite the perilous situation on the ship, passenger and travel blogger Kasem Hato said things have “been very calm.”
“People are taking the situation seriously but without any panic, trying to keep social distancing and wearing masks to be safe,” he said in a statement to NBC News.
He said the ship’s captain and leadership have been keeping passengers informed.
Health workers in protective gear arrive to evacuate patients from the MV Hondius cruise ship at a port in Praia, Cape Verde, on Wednesday.Misper Apawu / AP
“We are not obliged to do anything, but we’re trying to follow the recommendations we received of limiting close contact with other passengers and sanitizing our hands as much as possible,” Hato said.
He also noted that people have been keeping busy by reading, watching movies and “having hot drinks.”
The Hondius has almost 150 people on board and remains marooned off the coast of Cape Verde in West Africa, where it has been since at least Monday, after authorities refused it permission to dock.
Spain’s national government in Madrid had said that the Canary Islands would accept the ship and it would begin a three-to-four-day journey there, but the archipelago’s regional government opposed the move.
“This decision is not based on any technical criteria, nor is there sufficient information to reassure the public or guarantee their safety,” regional leader Fernando Clavijo told radio station COPE.
Clavijo said he had requested an urgent meeting with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, though the decision ultimately rests with the country’s national government, which can overrule regional authorities.
While the ship awaits clarity about its destination, three passengers suspected of having hantavirus were evacuated on Wednesday morning.