WHO DG allays fears of Tenerife people over hantavirus outbreak as cruise ship docks in Canary Island

Health, International

TENERIFE, Spain (NPA) — The Director‑General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has addressed the people of Tenerife following the deaths of three passengers aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship from the Andes strain of hantavirus. In a statement titled “To the people of Tenerife,” Tedros reassured residents that the public health risk remains low and urged calm.

Tedros acknowledged lingering anxieties from the COVID‑19 pandemic, but emphasized: “This is not another COVID‑19. The current public health risk from hantavirus remains low.” He confirmed that no passengers on board are currently symptomatic, and WHO experts, alongside Spanish authorities, have prepared a detailed plan for safe disembarkation.

Passengers will be transferred through a sealed corridor at the industrial port of Granadilla, away from residential areas, before being repatriated directly to their countries of origin. Tedros praised Spain’s decision to host the ship as “an act of solidarity and moral duty,” noting that Tenerife was chosen under international health regulations for its medical capacity and infrastructure.

Advertisement

Nearly 150 people from 23 countries have been at sea for weeks, some grieving, all anxious to return home. Tedros announced he will personally travel to Tenerife to oversee the operation and pay tribute to the island’s response, describing it as one of “dignity, solidarity, and compassion.”

WHO continues to monitor the situation closely, with Tedros in direct communication with the ship’s captain, Jan Dobrogowski, and WHO expert Dr. Freddy Banza‑Mutoka on board. So far, the risk to the population of the Canary Islands and globally remains low.

Tedros concluded: “Viruses do not understand politics or respect borders. The best immunity we have is solidarity. Tenerife is demonstrating that solidarity today.”