In a message<\/a> to the people of Tenerife, in Spain\u2019s Canary Islands, Ghebreyesus acknowledged that people are scared about the hantavirus, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n \u201cBut I need you to hear me clearly: this is not another COVID<\/a>,\u201d he said. \u201cThe current public health risk from hantavirus remains low. My colleagues and I have said this unequivocally, and I will say it again to you now.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t \n\t\t\tDownload the SAN app today to stay up-to-date with Unbiased. Straight Facts\u2122.\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tPoint phone camera here\t\t<\/p>\n MV Hondius is expected to arrive in Tenerife early Sunday morning. Passengers will be ferried ashore at Granadilla, away from residential areas, in sealed, guarded vehicles through a completely cordoned-off corridor before being taken directly to their home countries, Ghebreyesus said.<\/p>\n \u201cYou will not encounter them. Your families will not encounter them,\u201d Ghebreyesus told the people of Tenerife.<\/p>\n Around 147 people were on the cruise ship when the outbreak was first reported<\/a> to the WHO earlier this month, and 34 previously disembarked. Three passengers died, with a total of eight cases of the hantavirus reported on the ship as of Friday.<\/p>\n Spain\u2019s interior minister said on Saturday Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, and the Netherlands are sending planes to evacuate their citizens on the cruise ship upon their arrival, Reuters reported.<\/a> Two additional planes are being sent by the European Union for the rest of the European citizens.<\/p>\n The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is tracking 17 U.S. citizens on board the ship and seven who previously returned to the U.S., an official from the CDC told reporters on a call Saturday.<\/p>\n The American cruise passengers will be taken to the National Quarantine Center at the University of Nebraska to be assessed before returning to their home states. It is the only federally funded quarantine unit in the U.S.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are prepared for situations exactly like this,\u201d Dr. Michael Ash, CEO of Nebraska Medicine, said in a statement<\/a>. \u201cOur teams have trained for decades alongside federal and state partners to make sure we can safely provide care while protecting our staff and the broader community. We are proud to support this national effort.\u201d<\/p>\n Passengers can expect an overall monitoring period of 42 days, the CDC official said, though this will \u201cnot necessarily\u201d all take place in Nebraska. <\/p>\n \u201cWe will continue to assess and monitor the passengers. We\u2019re coordinating with state and local health departments as well,\u201d the CDC official said. <\/p>\n Exposed passengers are recommended to limit activities outside the house that involve \u201cextensive interactions with other people,\u201d the CDC official added. <\/p>\n \t\t\tStart your day with fact-based news.<\/p>\n![\"QR](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/app-download-block-qr-code.png\")
<\/p>\n