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Twenty two British passengers on board a cruise ship hit by a hantavirus outbreak have been evacuated from the vessel off Tenerife, with most of them now flying back to the UK.
A chartered Titan Airways flight departed from the Canary Island’s south airport on Sunday evening, with the Airbus A320’s passengers to be taken from Manchester Airport to isolate at the UK’s initial Covid quarantine site.
It comes after the MV Hondius arrived in Tenerife in the early hours of Sunday, triggering an evacuation operation with passengers ferried to a port by small boat, not before medics in full PPE checked all remained asymptomatic.
Some 22 British nationals were taken to shore – with 20 getting on the repatriation flight and two dual-nationals heading elsewhere.
While they were being bussed from the port at Granadilla de Abona to Tenerife South Airport, some British passengers, clad in blue PPE, waved and gave thumbs up as they passed watching media.
For updates on the evacuation – visit our blog by clicking here
British passengers are brought to land after being evacuated from the MV Hondius (Getty)
The World Health Organisation (WHO) said its goal was to finish the ship’s evacuation, with the exception of 30 crew members remaining on board, by 7pm on Monday.
Passengers were told to leave their luggage on the ship and were only allowed to take a small bag with essential items such as their phone and passport.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said British passengers and crew will be transferred to an isolation facility at Arrowe Park Hospital on the Wirral, Merseyside, after being repatriated to the UK.
They will be held at the hospital for 72 hours, after which specialists will decide whether they can isolate at home for 45 days or another suitable location.
The Merseyside hospital is known for its role as the nation’s initial quarantine site for British citizens returning from Wuhan, China, at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in January 2020.
Plane bound for Britain carrying passengers of the cruise ship MV Hondius departs from Tenerife Sud airport (Reuters)
Spanish authorities said on Sunday that no passengers on the ship were showing symptoms of the virus, with 14 Spanish nationals who formed the first group to be evacuated from the vessel being flown to a hospital in Madrid.
Eight people are suspected to have fallen ill with hantavirus, including three who died – a Dutch couple and a German national. Of the eight, six are confirmed to have contracted the virus, with another two suspected cases.
British citizens will be taken to specialist facilities in Merseyside (Getty)
A joint statement from NHS England North West, NHS Cheshire and Merseyside ICB, Merseyside Police, North West Ambulance Service, and Wirral Council said: “In line with advice from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), on arrival [in the UK] they [British passengers] will be taken to a managed setting for clinical assessment and testing. We expect this initial stay to be up to 72 hours.
“Following this, public health specialists will assess whether they can isolate at home or at another suitable location, based on their living arrangements. The risk to the general population remains very low.
Paratroopers and medics delivered aid to a Briton on Tristan da Cunha (Getty)
“Our partner organisations are working together to ensure that all returning passengers are welcomed, comfortable and well supported throughout their stay.”
Following their isolation, public health specialists will assess whether passengers can isolate at home or at another suitable location based on their living arrangements.
The two confirmed British cases are in hospital in South Africa and the Netherlands, while the third British national with a suspected case is being supported on the British overseas territory of Tristan da Cunha where they live.
Six paratroopers, an RAF consultant and Army nurse from 16 Air Assault Brigade were parachuted onto the South Atlantic island, while oxygen supplies and medical aid was also dropped on Tristan da Cunha, which is normally only accessible by boat.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said it was the first time medical personnel had been parachuted in to provide humanitarian support.