The Spanish island of Tenerife is bracing for the arrival of the MV Hondius cruise ship, which is carrying an outbreak of hantavirus, with a mix of uncertainty and anger. The Spanish government, in coordination with the World Health Organization (WHO), has agreed to allow passengers to disembark this weekend. The vessel is arriving from Cape Verde, where three people were evacuated due to illness.
On Friday, dock workers in Tenerife gathered outside the Canary Islands parliament building in Santa Cruz to voice concerns about potential health risks. They blew whistles, sounded vuvuzelas, and waved banners. Joana Batista, a local port workers' union representative, said: "We're unhappy at the idea of being allowed to work in a port without special safety measures or information when an infected boat is approaching."
Some workers have threatened to block the ship's arrival if their demands are not met. Batista added: "If the boat is going to stop here, then it can do so, but with the necessary measures in place. Local people need to be told how this will affect them, how the passengers will be transported."
Nutritionist María de la Luz Sedeño, watching the protest, expressed fury, citing the ongoing arrival of thousands of undocumented migrants from North and West Africa as a source of frustration for many islanders. According to NGO Caminando Fronteras, over 3,000 people died in 2025 trying to reach the Canary Islands. Pope Leo is scheduled to visit in June to meet migrants and aid organizations.
The Spanish government has provided details of the ship's arrival: it will anchor offshore, and passengers will be ferried to the industrial port of Granadilla, away from residential areas. They will then be repatriated or, in the case of 14 Spanish nationals, taken to Madrid for quarantine. Authorities insist there will be no contact with local residents, who "will be absolutely and completely protected," according to Virginia Barcones, head of Spain's civil protection agency.
Some islanders have been reassured. Pensioner Marialaina Retina Fernández said: "Now I'm a bit calmer because there's more information. It's not ideal, but if the authorities say they'll do everything possible to make sure nobody gets infected, let's hope that's how it is."
The far-right Vox party has sought to capitalize on the issue, drawing comparisons with illegal migration. The WHO and Spanish government have downplayed comparisons to the COVID-19 pandemic, but for many, the cruise ship evokes memories of the early days of the pandemic, when a German tourist on La Gomera became Spain's first confirmed case, leading to the confinement of around 1,000 guests and staff in a Tenerife hotel.
Source: www.bbc.com