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Brits Evacuated From Ship Hit By Deadly Virus
11 May
Summary
- Twenty Britons are self-isolating after a cruise ship outbreak.
- The passengers are quarantined at Arrowe Park Hospital for 45 days.
- Hantavirus, carried by rodents, caused three deaths on the ship.
Twenty British passengers evacuated from the MV Hondius cruise ship, which experienced a hantavirus outbreak, are now undergoing a 45-day self-isolation period in the UK. The group landed at Manchester Airport on Sunday and were transported under police escort to Arrowe Park Hospital in Merseyside. They will spend an initial 72 hours in self-contained flats on hospital grounds before continuing their isolation at home.
Health authorities have emphasized that the risk to the public is minimal, as hantavirus is not easily transmissible like COVID-19 or the flu. While the evacuees are currently healthy and asymptomatic, the isolation period may be adjusted based on scientific guidance. The outbreak on the ship, which was travelling from Argentina to Cape Verde, has resulted in three confirmed deaths. Two British nationals are receiving treatment in the Netherlands and South Africa, with two others who left the trip early already isolating at home.
