WHO Head Will Oversee Evacuation of Passengers, Crew From Hantavirus-Stricken Cruise Ship [View all]
Source: US News & World Report/AP
May 9, 2026, at 7:03 a.m.
TENERIFE, Spain (AP) — The head of the World Health Organization arrived in Spain on Saturday to oversee the evacuation of more than 140 passengers and crew from a hantavirus-stricken cruise ship headed to the Canary Islands.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he would be heading to the Spanish island of Tenerife off the coast of West Africa, along with senior Spanish government officials, “to oversee safe disembarkation of the passengers, crew members and health experts.”
The Dutch-flagged ship, the MV Hondius, is expected to arrive in Tenerife in the early hours of Sunday. Tedros said that at this point, nobody on board the Hondius was showing symptoms of the virus.
“WHO continues to actively monitor the situation, coordinate support and next steps and will keep Member States and the public updated accordingly. So far, the risk for the population of Canary Islands and globally remains low,” he posted on X. Spain’s Health Minister Monica Garcia said on Friday she would be heading to Tenerife with Tedros and Interior Fernando Grande-Marlaska to coordinate the disembarkation. Passengers will be isolated
Read more: https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2026-05-09/who-head-will-oversee-evacuation-of-passengers-crew-from-hantavirus-stricken-cruise-ship
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