Almost a month after the first passenger died of the hantavirus on board the MV Hondius, the cruise ship finally reached Tenerife, in the Canary Islands.
Intensive preparations have been underway to receive the ship in the port of Granadilla and help more than 100 people onto shore to be repatriated. The ship arrived near the port before dawn, but was not permitted to reach shore. Instead, a security perimeter of one nautical mile was enforced around the ship as it approached the island. The complex operation to prevent the rare Andes strain of this virus spreading, is described by Spain's health minister as "unprecedented". The operation, involving 23 countries, has been meticulously planned for maximum safety and to answer the concerns of disgruntled locals. The United Kingdom, United states and multiple EU member states have all sent planes, while Medically-equipped aircraft are on standby, too, should anyone need to be taken into isolation
