Viral Image of Evacuee Without Mask on Bus in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria

A photojournalist captured the moment a passenger from the 'Hondius' cruise ship lowered his mask, sparking online debate.

Generic image of a bus interior, with blurred passengers and a face mask.
IA

Generic image of a bus interior, with blurred passengers and a face mask.

A photograph showing an evacuee from the 'MV Hondius' cruise ship without a face mask inside a bus in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria has ignited a strong controversy on social media, amidst the health crisis caused by a hantavirus outbreak.

The snapshot, taken by a photojournalist, documents the moment one of the ship's passengers removed their face covering, failing to comply with the established health protocols for the transfer of those affected.
The photographer recounted that, upon observing several evacuees, some waving and others looking concerned, he noticed one of them without a mask. He quickly used a 600-millimeter lens to capture the scene, achieving a “more compressed” image that showed the individual without protection.

"He sees several evacuees waving, others who seem worried, and one of them without a mask on."

the photojournalist
The dissemination of this image has prompted numerous reactions on digital platforms. Concurrently, a video has gone viral showing a member of the health support team disembarking from a bus with their personal protective equipment (PPE) under their arm, which has also generated comments and debate.