Published May 10, 2026 9:29pm
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Twenty-four of the 38 Filipino crew members of the hantavirus-hit MV Hondius will soon board a flight to the Netherlands where they will undergo quarantine, the Department of Migrant Workers said.
At a virtual press briefing on Sunday night, DMW Secretary Hans Cacdac said that the 38 Filipino crew on board the ship consist of 24 hotel staff and 14 deck and engine staff. The 24 hotel staff, also known as stewards, will be flown out to the Netherlands—four at first, followed by 20 on Monday—to begin a six-week quarantine.
The 14 other Filipino crew will remain on the ship to sail it to Rotterdam in The Netherlands. When the ship reaches its destination, the crew will then begin their own quarantine. Upon completion of the quarantine, all Filipinos will be repatriated to the Philippines.
The ship is currently anchored at Tenerife, Spain.
Hantavirus, which is usually spread by rodents but can in rare cases be transmitted person-to-person, was first detected on May 2, 21 days after the first passenger died, by South African health officials testing a British man who was in intensive care. Two other former passengers have died since.
The luxury cruise ship left for Spain on Wednesday from the coast of Cape Verde after the WHO and European Union asked the country to manage the evacuation of passengers after the hantavirus outbreak was detected.
The agency said the first case may have been infected before boarding, possibly during travel in Argentina and Chile, with later spread likely occurring on the ship. — BM, GMA News