The cruise ship MV Hondius, affected by an outbreak of hantavirus, will arrive in the Canary Islands for the evacuation of nearly 150 passengers and crew members. EU countries are sending planes for the repatriation of citizens.

The cruise ship MV Hondius, affected by an outbreak of hantavirus, is expected to arrive on Sunday morning near the Canary Islands, where the evacuation of nearly 150 passengers and crew members, considered 'high-risk contacts' by the WHO, will begin.

The Spanish Minister of Health, Mónica García Gómez, announced that the evacuation will take place between 08:00 and 10:00, Romanian time. WHO Director Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has arrived on the island of Tenerife to oversee the process. Passengers will be disembarked in an orderly manner and will be immediately transferred to repatriation flights. Local authorities have imposed strict measures to prevent contact with the local population, and all passengers will be monitored for 42 days.

So far, six cases of hantavirus have been confirmed, including three deaths, and the WHO has emphasized that the risk to public health remains low.

The evacuation is coordinated by several European countries, which are preparing special flights for the repatriation of citizens.

Read also: SPECIAL Informat.ro / How the hantavirus from the MV Hondius ship tested Europe's vigilance