In a rare personal message to the island’s residents on Saturday, Dr Tedros confirmed that he would travel to Spanish territory to supervise the disembarkation of almost 150 passengers and crew, following a hantavirus outbreak on board that has claimed three lives.
“It is not common for me to write directly to the people of a single community, but today I feel that it is not only appropriate, it is necessary.“, said.
Fresh COVID memories
“I know you’re worried…The pain of 2020 is still real and I don’t discount it for a moment. But I need you to hear me clearly: this is not another COVID.”
The ship is carrying the Andean strain of hantavirus, a severe respiratory disease that is the only strain in which human-to-human transmission has been recorded (check out WHO hantavirus fact sheet here).
According to the latest WHO situation report, there have been eight cases linked to the ship, six of which are laboratory confirmed. However, Tedros He stressed that the risk to the general public remains “low”.
A ‘safety corridor’
Spanish authorities have established a rigorous protocol to ensure that the virus does not enter the local community. The ship will dock on Sunday at the industrial port of Granadilla, located away from residential areas.
Passengers will be transported in “sealed and guarded vehicles, through a completely cordoned-off corridor” and repatriated directly to their home countries.. “You will not meet them. Their families will not meet them,” the Director General assured.
The WHO’s decision to request help from Spain was made under the International Health Regulations, which require the nearest port with sufficient medical capacity to provide aid during international health emergencies.
International solidarity
Tedros praised the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, and the people of Tenerife for fulfilling what he described as a “moral duty”. The passengers on board represent 23 different countries and have been at sea for several weeks.
“Tenerife has been chosen because it has the medical capacity, the infrastructure and the humanity to help them get to a safe place,” Tedros said.
“I intend to travel to Tenerife to… personally pay my respects to an island that has responded to a difficult situation with grace, solidarity and compassion.”
He MV Hondio has been at the center of an international search effort after the first probable case – a passenger who had traveled through South America – died on board in mid-April. Since then, cases have been hospitalized in South Africa, the Netherlands and Switzerland.
Currently, there are no symptomatic passengers remaining on board the ship.. A WHO expert is already on board the ship to follow the situation when it arrives in the Canary Islands on Sunday.
Concluding his message, Tedros called for confidence in public health preparations: “As I have said many times: viruses do not care about politics and do not respect borders. The best immunity any of us has is solidarity..”
