WHO Chief Flies to Tenerife to Oversee MV Hondius Hantavirus Evacuation: 'This Is Not COVID'

WHO Director-General Arrives in Tenerife

Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organisation, flew personally to Tenerife on May 9 to oversee the evacuation of the MV Hondius — the cruise ship at the centre of the worst hantavirus outbreak in recent history. The vessel docked at the Port of Granadilla de Abona in Tenerife at approximately 5:30am on Sunday, May 10.

In a letter addressed directly to residents of the Canary Islands, Dr. Tedros wrote: "This disease is not COVID. The risk to the local population is low." He acknowledged the anxiety caused by news of an outbreak approaching their shores: "I know that when you hear the word 'outbreak' and watch a ship sail toward your shores, memories surface that none of us have fully put to rest."

Three Dead, Six Confirmed Cases

The outbreak has claimed three lives:

• A Dutch man, who died aboard the ship on April 11
• His wife, who died in a Johannesburg hospital on April 26
• A German national, who died aboard on May 2

At the time of docking, there were six confirmed cases and a total of eight suspected cases on board. Five infected passengers had already left the ship prior to arrival in Tenerife. Approximately 147 people — including around 60 crew — were on board from 23 nationalities.

A Massive, Controlled Evacuation

The evacuation was described by Spain's health minister as "unprecedented". Key measures included:

• 358 Spanish security agents involved in transfer operations
• Passengers transported in sealed, guarded vehicles away from residential areas
• 14 Spanish nationals sent to a military hospital for observation
• 6 evacuation flights for EU country passengers
• 4 evacuation flights for non-EU passengers
• 17 US passengers transported via a CDC-supervised US government plane to the National Quarantine Unit at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha
• Symptomatic passengers transported to the Netherlands for treatment

Spanish official Virginia Barcones confirmed that passengers were taken to a "completely isolated, cordoned-off area" on arrival.

42-Day Isolation Recommended

The WHO is recommending a 42-day isolation period from the date of last exposure — reflecting the maximum incubation window for the Andes strain of hantavirus, the variant involved in this outbreak and the only known hantavirus that can spread between humans.

WHO Acting Director Maria van Kerkhove said of the passengers: "I'm sure they're very anxious to get home, but (we need) to make sure they do that in the most safe way possible."

WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier reinforced the message for the wider public: "This is not a new COVID. The virus is not that contagious that it easily jumps from person to person."

International Response

The operation involved coordination across multiple nations including Canada, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Singapore, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States. Health officers from the WHO, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), and the Netherlands were already aboard the vessel before it reached Tenerife.

The Canary Islands regional leader had opposed the ship docking, but Spain's central government retained constitutional authority over public health matters. Port workers staged a protest over communication gaps about safety measures ahead of arrival.

This article is based on reporting from Spain English and international news sources, published May 9–10, 2026.