Japan’s Foreign Ministry says a Japanese national who had left the cruise ship hit by a suspected hantavirus outbreak arrived in Britain on Sunday local time.
The ministry said on Monday that the person was offered a spare seat on a chartered flight arranged by the British government after disembarking at a Spanish island.
It said it understands that the individual is “in good health” and will undergo health monitoring by local authorities for up to 45 days in Britain as recommended by the World Health Organization.
Japan signed a memorandum with Britain in April on mutual assistance in evacuating their nationals in the event of a crisis in a third country.
The ministry said the memorandum was the basis for the flight offered to the individual.
It said Japan will continue to respond in coordination with British authorities on the protection of Japanese nationals and efforts to prevent the spread of the disease.
The ship’s passengers and crew members began disembarking on Sunday after arriving at Tenerife in the Canary Islands.
The ship’s operator said that as of Friday, about 150 passengers and crew members were on board, 22 of them British nationals.