Occupants of a cruise ship struck by a deadly hantavirus outbreak that has sparked international alarm began leaving the vessel in Spain’s Canary Islands on Sunday for their repatriation, two of them heading to Belgium.
Passengers wearing blue medical suits began disembarking the Dutch-flagged vessel onto smaller boats to reach the port of Granadilla on Tenerife.
The evacuees then boarded a bus for their transfer to Tenerife South airport, where their repatriation flights were due to take off. The 14 Spaniards on board were supposed to leave first, followed by a Dutch flight that would also take citizens from Germany, Greece, Belgium and part of the crew, Spanish Health Minister Monica Garcia said.
According to the Belgian news agency Belga, two Belgians were on board the ship and will undergo a medical assessment on arrival in Belgium. If no symptoms are found, they may return home but must continue to isolate and limit contact with others for several weeks.
Separate flights for…
