The president of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, has openly opposed the Spanish government's plan to bring the cruise ship MV Hondius to the archipelago, after a hantavirus outbreak was detected on board. The vessel is currently anchored off the coast of Praia, the capital of Cabo Verde.
Speaking on Spanish radio on Wednesday, Clavijo described the decision as “an improvisation by the Spanish government” and insisted that his administration lacks essential information about the outbreak. “We have no medical report on how many patients are infected,” he said.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has reported that 147 passengers and crew are on the ship. So far, seven cases linked to the outbreak have been identified: two laboratory-confirmed and five suspected. The toll includes three deaths, one patient in critical condition, and three people with mild symptoms. South African authorities have detected the Andean variant of hantavirus in several of those infected—a strain known to be transmissible between humans.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that, based on current information, the international organisation “assesses the risk to the general population is low.”
Political Tensions Over Crisis Management
Clavijo questioned why the Spanish government, in coordination with the WHO and the European Union, decided to redirect the ship to the Canary Islands. “It is the Spanish government that decides to take it to the Canary Islands… Why can’t they be treated in Praia?” he asked.
The WHO has appealed to international law and a “humanitarian spirit,” urging Spain to accept the vessel. It stressed that Cabo Verde lacks the capacity to manage an operation of this scale. The government of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has justified the transfer on humanitarian grounds.
Spain’s Ministry of Health confirmed that Madrid has also agreed to the urgent evacuation of the ship’s doctor, who is in serious condition, via a medicalised plane to the Canary Islands. The operation is part of broader arrangements coordinated with the WHO and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, which is assessing the epidemiological situation on board.
Clavijo has called for a meeting with Sánchez and Health Minister Mónica García, warning that the decision “does not convey peace of mind” to the population of the Canary Islands. He reiterated that “the position of the Government of the Canary Islands” is to reject the operation as proposed, because the necessary data to guarantee health safety has not been provided.
For more details on the broader response, see our earlier report: Spain Accepts Critically Ill Doctor from Hantavirus-Stricken Cruise Ship MV Hondius.
Medical Evacuation Underway
Cabo Verde has confirmed the arrival of one of two ambulance planes planned to evacuate three people affected by the outbreak. According to the country’s Ministry of Health, “the sanitary evacuation of the three patients will be carried out in the next few hours, using two ambulance planes, in coordination with the competent national and international authorities.”
The department specified that one aircraft is already in the country and a second plane is expected, along with a specialist doctor to assist those on the ship. Once the evacuation is complete, the vessel is expected to resume its journey. The ministry assured that the operation is being prepared “with maximum security and inter-institutional coordination.”
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control continues to monitor the situation. For a deeper understanding of the virus itself, read our explainer: Hantavirus: Symptoms, Spread, and the Cruise Ship Outbreak Explained.
As the crisis unfolds, the standoff between the Canary Islands and Madrid highlights the challenges of coordinating public health responses across different levels of government in Europe. The archipelago, a popular tourist destination, is wary of becoming a landing point for a potentially dangerous pathogen without full transparency from national authorities.
