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La Voz Canaria

Uncertainty in Granadilla as Port Prepares for Hantavirus Cruise Ship

Residents of Granadilla de Abona are anxious about the operation to transfer passengers from the MV Hondius, despite assurances that the health risk is low.

Image of a cruise ship anchored near an industrial port at dawn, with blurred emergency lights on the dock.
IA

Image of a cruise ship anchored near an industrial port at dawn, with blurred emergency lights on the dock.

The town of Granadilla de Abona, in southern Tenerife, is bracing for the arrival of the MV Hondius cruise ship, carrying passengers affected by hantavirus, sparking concern among its residents.

The impending arrival of the MV Hondius cruise ship at the port of Granadilla has created an atmosphere of uncertainty among the inhabitants of Granadilla de Abona. The vessel, which departed from Ushuaia (Argentina) on April 1, has reported three fatalities due to a hantavirus outbreak and is expected to anchor in waters near the Tenerife town in the early hours of this Sunday.
Local residents are expressing their concern about the situation. One resident of Granadilla de Abona conveyed his bewilderment, stating that they do not understand why the cruise ship is coming to their port and what will happen after the operation. This apprehension has become the main topic of conversation in the municipality, with comparisons drawn to the experience during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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"This is not another COVID-19. The current public health risk from #hantavirus remains low. My colleagues and I have unambiguously stated this, and I repeat it now. The virus on board the MV Hondius is the Andes strain of hantavirus. It is serious. Three people have lost their lives, and our hearts go out to their families. The risk to you, in your daily lives in Tenerife, is low. This is the WHO's assessment, and we do not make it lightly."

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus · Director-General of the World Health Organization
In an effort to reassure the public, the Director-General of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, addressed the residents of Tenerife this Saturday. Via his X (formerly Twitter) account, he affirmed that the risk of hantavirus transmission to the local population is low, clearly distinguishing the situation from COVID-19 and emphasizing the seriousness of the WHO's assessment.
Despite widespread concern, some residents adopt a more understanding stance. Another local resident highlighted the importance of empathy in such situations and expressed confidence in the protocols and measures that both the Spanish Government and the Canarian Government will implement to manage the situation.
The port of Granadilla, an industrial infrastructure designed for deep-draft vessels, has been the focus of international attention for days. Since Friday, over a hundred media outlets have deployed to the area, with journalists of various nationalities covering the news. The disembarkation operation, which will transfer 149 passengers by boat to the dock for their subsequent transfer to Tenerife South Airport, has been meticulously planned.

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