The Government announces that the vessel MV Hondius will arrive in the Canary Islands in three days and guarantees that it will not pose any risk to the population or to[...]

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The Government announces that the vessel MV Hondius will arrive in the Canary Islands in three days and guarantees that it will not pose any risk to the population or to economic activity

President's News - 2026.5.6

The President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, presides over the meeting on the request from the World Health Organization to host the vessel 'MV Hondius' in the Canary Islands (Pool Moncloa/Borja Puig de la Bellacasa)

At the end of the meeting, the Minister for Health, Mónica García, and the Minister for Home Affairs, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, held a press conference at Moncloa Palace to report on the follow-up meeting.

Mónica García confirmed that once all symptomatic persons affected by an outbreak of Hantavirus have been removed from the vessel, which is anchored in Cape Verde, the ship will continue on to the Canary Islands, where it expects to arrive within three days at the secondary port of Granadilla de Abona, in Tenerife. "The relief and repatriation process will be carried out in the Canary Islands," García explained, stressing that "it will not pose any risk to the Canary Islands' population or its economic activity." "Spain has all the capacities to care for all people and to maintain public health protection as we deserve," he remarked.

The minister said that the three symptomatic people on board are being evacuated from Cape Verde to the Netherlands and that "all those remaining on board are asymptomatic passengers" as of today. Once the ship arrives in the Canary Islands, she explained, "all foreign passengers will be repatriated, unless their medical condition prevents it, through a European Civil Protection mechanism led by the European Commission, which has already been activated, and which will have all the necessary guarantees." In this regard, she explained that both medical care and transfers will be carried out in special spaces and transport set up ad hoc, avoiding any contact with the local population and ensuring the safety of personnel at all times.

The 14 Spaniards will be transferred to the Gómez Ulla Military Hospital in Madrid.

As for the 14 Spaniards on board, García said that "they will be examined when they arrive in the Canary Islands and will be transferred by military aircraft to the Torrejón military base and from there to the Gómez Ulla Military Hospital in Madrid, where they will be treated and will remain in quarantine for as long as the clinical protocols require."

The health minister pointed out that the World Health Organization yesterday requested that the ship should go to the Canary Islands and that Spain, the country with the closest port, should deal with the situation within the framework of the International Health Regulations. "The WHO considers that Spain meets the conditions for safe disembarkation and also for health protection, not only to minimise the risk to passengers and crew, but also to protect public health from this infection." During her speech, she also stressed that the Ministry of Health has maintained "permanent communication at all levels to share information, assess risks and coordinate the response." She pointed out that she herself has been "in contact with President Clavijo, with the Secretary of State, with the acting Regional Minister, the Director General of Public Health and with her counterpart in the Canary Islands", as well as "the technical teams having been in contact with each other" and also with the Foreign Health Department, which has maintained coordination.

Spain accepts WHO proposal due to ethical and legal obligations

For his part, the Minister for Home Affairs, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, indicated that the acceptance of the WHO's proposal for the Canary Islands to be the destination for the boat's arrival, responds to "moral obligations", "out of humanity", as well as "legal", and because we have the necessary technical needs and the European Civil Protection mechanism that will allow us to carry out the evacuations safely. In other words, "we have the means to respond to this type of situation with our country's own muscle, but also that of the European Union," he stressed.

He explained that "there are just over 140 people on board, including tourists and workers, of whom 14 are Spanish nationals - 13 passengers and one crew member. By region, they are "five Catalans, three from Madrid, three from Asturias, one from Castilla y Leon, one from Galicia and one from Valencia." All of them," he added, "and the whole passage, are obviously facing a serious health situation. They need help and the closest port with the technical capabilities to provide it is the Canary Islands."

After outlining the importance of the ethical and moral obligations of this reception, Minister Grande-Marlaska went into the "legal and juridical" ones, such as the International Health Regulations, specifically Article 44, and various conventions of the International Maritime Organization. "But we cannot ignore the fact that our own Constitution clearly states that the authorities must at all times help and protect all our citizens."

Meetings with affected countries

Marlaska said that it has been the European Union that has urged Spain to "open the emergency that we have opened and to activate the European Civil Protection Mechanism." "From now on, various meetings will be held with all the countries concerned to be able to materialise the repatriation of all the passengers and crew in the appropriate health terms and in the necessary and precise logistical terms." These meetings will include representatives of the Ministry of Health, of Home Affairs, given that the focal point of the European Civil Protection Mechanism is the General Secretariat for Civil Protection and Emergencies; and we have agreed, for obvious reasons, that there will also be a representative of the Government of the Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands."

While taking questions, he insisted that, "at all times, there has been communication and information with all the authorities concerned, including the Canary Islands government," and that, consequently, once the European Civil Protection Mechanism is activated, the Canary Islands government will also form part of it.

Transmission of the virus

During the press conference, the health minister gave details about Hantavirus, pointing out that it is mainly transmitted by rodents, especially by inhalation of particles present in places that are contaminated by their urine or droppings, as well as by direct contact with these animals or their secretions. "Human-to-human transmission is not common, but it cannot be ruled out, and when it has occurred it has always been in situations of very close and direct contact with people who are symptomatic," she added.

Non official translation

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