The president of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, will preside this Wednesday at Moncloa the follow-up meeting to address the request from the World Health Organization (WHO) to the Government to host the cruise ship MV Hondius, affected by a hantavirus outbreak, in Canary Islands.
According to the Ministry of Health, the island of Tenerife will finally host the passengers and crew based on the "compliance with International Law and the humanitarian spirit". The decision has come after talks between the World Health Organization, the Spanish Executive and other involved institutions.
Meanwhile, the Delegation of the Government of Spain in the Canary Islands has indicated that contact between both institutions has been constant since Tuesday morning. Thus, it has stated that both the Minister of Health, Mónica García, and the Minister of Territorial Policy, Ángel Víctor Torres, have been in contact with the regional Government.
To the meeting, which will begin at 11:30 AM, will attend, in addition to Sánchez, the Minister of Health, Mónica García; the Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska; the Minister of Transport, Óscar Puente; and the Minister of Territorial Policy, Ángel Víctor Torres, the latter two remotely.
Spain has also accepted a formal request from the Executive of the Netherlands to host the ship's doctor, who is in serious condition and was expected to arrive at the archipelago this past Tuesday. However, the spokesperson for the Canary Islands Government, Alfonso Cabello, assured RTVC that the flight to the islands has been canceled. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health has not provided new details.
A comprehensive epidemiological analysis
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) is conducting a thorough examination of the ship to determine which people should be urgently evacuated in Cape Verde.
Meanwhile, the Spanish Executive has announced that the rest will continue heading to the Canary Islands, where it could arrive in three or four days. The chosen port will be Tenerife. Once there, the crew and passengers will be conveniently examined, attended to, and transferred to their corresponding countries.
Fernando Clavijo has asked why passengers from the MV Hondius cannot be evacuated to their countries of origin from Praia International Airport. At the same time, he has requested a face-to-face meeting with Pedro Sánchez.