Relief in Tenerife as hantavirus-hit Hondius passengers finally reach dry land
In Granadilla, Tenerife, about a hundred journalists watched as passengers from the hantavirus-stricken MV Hondius were ferried ashore in small groups after five weeks at sea, signaling the end of a fear-filled ordeal. Health authorities and military personnel led a controlled disembarkation, with hazmat-clad staff guiding arrivals to quarantine and onward flights. The World Health Organization has said the Andes hantavirus appears to spread mainly from symptomatic individuals in close contact, unlike Covid. While relief is palpable, the passengers now face at least six weeks of quarantine and isolation, marking the uncertain but hopeful start of life on dry land again.