The Minister of Health, Mónica García, assured this Saturday night that everything is ready for the arrival at the port of Granadilla, in Tenerife, of the cruise ship where the hantavirus outbreak occurred and whose passengers remain without symptoms of the disease.
García has offered a press conference at the port of Granadilla together with the Director-General of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom, and the Ministers of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, and of Territorial Policy, Ángel Víctor Torres, with whom he has inspected the port infrastructure to which the cruise ship Hondius will arrive early this morning.
Both García and Marlaska have highlighted that the majority of the planes that will transfer passengers to their places of origin are already in Tenerife and those that are not will do so this Sunday, which will facilitate the times for carrying out the disembarkation and transfer of passengers.
It is expected that after its arrival the ship will anchor to disembark its occupants in launches, first the fourteen Spaniards (one crew member and thirteen passengers) because the Armed Forces plane is already prepared to transfer them to Madrid to be admitted to the Gómez Ulla Hospital, where they will spend their quarantine.
Regarding the option of the ship approaching the dock to disembark its occupants instead of anchoring, the minister clarified that in an operation of these characteristics, decisions will be made "with all rigor, with all scientific evidence, and with all the best technical capabilities we can bring to the operation."
"The decision we have made as of today is that the ship anchors. Now, that decision depends on the Maritime Captaincy, the port authorities, the sea conditions, the weather conditions, the sanitary conditions, and many other factors," the minister explained.
"The ship is going to anchor, but we will be prepared to make all necessary decisions to safeguard the health and safety of all passengers and the entire operation," he stressed.
García has confirmed "the good news" that the woman under epidemiological surveillance in Alicante has tested negative for the presence of the virus in the first PCR and the test has been repeated, the result of which will be known in 24 hours.
Another suspected case in Catalonia
Another woman from Catalonia who was in contact with one of those affected has no symptoms and is observing quarantine. The minister has indicated that she has been in contact with all Spanish passengers, who remain well and without symptoms.
"They are calm, they are very eager to arrive and they have said that we should take special care with their privacy," said the minister, who has asked the media to try to preserve the privacy of the passengers, who "are not patients nor are they cases," she recalled.
It has been reported that the planes that will carry out the transfers to the different countries are being added and only two aircraft remain to be confirmed, which could arrive tomorrow.
"We will try to make the Spaniards the first evacuated, given that we already have the Ministry of Defense flight prepared here. Afterwards, depending on the different nationalities and when their flights become available, the transfers will be carried out," he confirmed.
He insisted that for Spain it is an honor that the World Health Organization has chosen the country "to carry out this complex operation, due to the robustness of our epidemiological surveillance systems, our healthcare system, and our public health systems".
"The risk is low for the population of Tenerife"
The Director-General of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom, has addressed the people of Tenerife to guarantee that the risk is low for the population, both due to the nature of the virus itself and the operation prepared by the Government of Spain.
"We understand the concern because we all have the experience of covid and that trauma is still present in our minds, but the situation is much better now," he guaranteed.
He explained that he changed his plans and decided to move to Tenerife to transmit that message from up close, "because this is very important for the world and also for the people of Tenerife".
He recalled that the International Health Regulations oblige countries to cooperate, but he also thanked that he has found in Spain "a strong conviction of solidarity, because only by supporting each other can we respond more effectively".
"What Spain is demonstrating, the people of Tenerife are also demonstrating: solidarity and kindness. I know Tenerife is prepared and I know Spain is prepared," Adhanom emphasized.
The Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska has pointed out that the device includes 358 members of the State Security Forces and Corps, of whom 325 are civil guards and 33 are police officers.
Ángel Víctor Torres, minister of Territorial Policy, has reported that he has contacted the presidents of the six autonomous communities that have someone from their community on board, as well as the fourteen Spaniards on board and their families
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