The Spanish government reported that on board the MV Hondius, affected by a Hantavirus outbreak, no widespread PCR tests were carried out, nor during the voyage, as there was neither technical capacity nor epidemiological reasons.
The tests were only conducted in Cape Verde and only on the individuals designated by the epidemiologist who boarded, that is, the three people with symptoms, who were evacuated from there, and the highest-risk contacts of the detected cases.
Meanwhile, it was also reported that a French woman evacuated from the ship is the latest confirmed case of the outbreak. The patient presented a “fairly rapid progression” of the disease and her condition “worsened during the night,” according to the French Ministry of Health, which counts 22 contact cases among its citizens.
With her, according to the WHO, there are seven confirmed infections and two suspected ones related to the cruise, after the organization had stated a day earlier that there were no new cases. The test performed on an American passenger also came back positive, but “inconclusive.”
The Spanish, Dutch, French, and other nationality guests have already flown from Tenerife to their destinations, although as of noon this Monday there were still 22 passengers on board the cruise ship, but they were expected to leave the vessel in the afternoon.
