The cruise ship M/V Hondius, which has been hit by an outbreak of the Hantavirus, has set sail for the Canary Islands and is scheduled to arrive in Tenerife on the 9th of May, with islanders worried that the situation could develop into a quarantine similar to that during the Covid-19 pandemic, Reuters reports.
The M/V Hondius, which has 150 people on board, is heading to the Canary Islands after Spain agreed to a request from the World Health Organization to take it in. The local government has opposed the plan.
The Canary Islands were one of the first places in Europe to impose a quarantine during the Covid-19 pandemic, and in February 2020, more than 700 holidaymakers were stranded in Tenerife hotels for 14 days. At the time, authorities decided to close tourist accommodation to prevent the spread of the virus, weeks before similar measures were taken across Europe. The islands have also been hit by other outbreaks, including the 2014 Ebola outbreak. The archipelago, whose economy relies heavily on tourism, has also complained about having to bear the brunt of migration from West Africa.
A local resident told Reuters that the islanders were a community that was quite welcoming when it came to helping others and being hospitable, but that this was too much. She said people were scared and anxious, and Spain was a large country with many ports where a cruise ship could dock.
The WHO still stresses that the risk to the general public is low,
and that while the Andes strain of Hantavirus found in cruise ship passengers can spread from person to person, it only happens through prolonged, close contact.
Despite the WHO’s warnings, the latest outbreak has raised fears that hospitals and medical facilities in Tenerife could be closed. A nurse, who asked to remain anonymous, said it would be like Covid-19, with people worried about their children, elderly relatives and vulnerable members of society. She added that if the island’s quarantine protocol is implemented, it will affect schools and medical facilities.
The passengers on board are currently showing no signs of illness and will be transferred to their home countries, while the 14 Spaniards on board will be taken to a hospital in Madrid for quarantine.
Some Canary Islanders have complained that the islands’ status as a safe destination means they always have to take responsibility, something other tourism markets avoid. Jorge Marichal, president of the Tenerife Hotel Association, said that other tourist destinations that compete with the Canary Islands, such as Morocco, were not taken into account and that the decision to divert the ship to the Canary Islands was made for a reason. Madrid has failed to explain what is expected of the islands, and the local government’s tourism minister, Lope Afonso, said that this is making it difficult to reassure representatives of the tourism industry.
Some islanders have also expressed concerns that the incident could affect the planned visit of Pope Leo VIX in June.
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