MV Hondius in Tenerife

The Dutch-registered cruise ship MV Hondius has arrived on the Spanish island of Tenerife. A deadly hantavirus has hit the vessel.

MV Hondius is currently near the port of Granadilla but is not permitted to dock.

This is despite the World Health Organisation saying no one on board is currently displaying symptoms of the virus. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says the Hantavirus disease "is not Covid".

Ghebreyesus was speaking at a press conference in the port of Granadilla De Abona.

Passengers will be ferried from the boat here to the island in groups of five on a small boat, according to their nationality. As soon as they're on land, they will be taken straight to a nearby airport, and then they will board the plane scheduled to repatriate them.

So the planes, or almost all the planes, are ready waiting to repatriate those passengers. Meanwhile, South African airline, Airlink, says it's monitoring the health of a limited number of its crew members that it has advised to stay at home. This follows potential exposure to the hantavirus.

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