A total of eight cases have been reported, the WHO has said (Image: Getty)
British passengers and crew aboard the hantavirus-hit cruise ship will be taken to a hospital in Merseyside for an initial isolation period and medical checks upon their return to the UK. The MV Hondius is expected to dock in Tenerife in the Canary Islands this weekend. More than 20 remaining British nationals are expected to fly back to the UK on a charter flight shortly after.
Once back in the UK, it has now been revealed that they will be transferred to Arrowe Park Hospital in Wirral. The facility previously served as a quarantine centre for Brits returning from Wuhan, China, during the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.
The World Health Organisation has said that as of May 8, a total of eight cases, including three deaths, have been reported. Six cases have been laboratory-confirmed as hantavirus infections, with all identified as Andes virus (ANDV). The UK Health Security Agency said on Friday that two British nationals have confirmed infections, with another suspected case under investigation. No passengers currently on board are showing symptoms, but all are being closely monitored.
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The ship is expected to dock in Tenerife this weekend (Image: Getty)
The contact tracing and support are already under way for others who previously disembarked. Professor Robin May, chief scientific officer at UKHSA, stressed the risk to the general public remains “very low.”
A message sent to staff members from the Wirral University Teaching Hospital Trust on Saturday confirmed preparations to receive returning passengers linked to the MV Hondius outbreak, the Liverpool Echo reported.
The message, seen by the Liverpool Echo, stated: “You will be aware that there are a number of British nationals who are expected to fly from Tenerife to the UK following the cases of hantavirus on the MV Hondius cruise ship recently confirmed by the World Health Organisation.
“The plan is for the British passengers and ship crew not displaying any symptoms of hantavirus to be escorted by UK Government staff and given free passage back to the UK, and as a precaution, they will remain in isolation.
“We have been asked to house these residents (around 24) as our guests in the accommodation block on the Arrowe Park hospital site to provide them with a safe place for their isolation period.
“We have been asked by NHS England and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) to house the guests, recognising how quickly and positively we responded to and supported the repatriation of British nationals from Wuhan and the Diamond Princess prior to the Covid-19 pandemic.”
Joint chief executive for Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Janelle Holmes, said the British nationals will be transferred to the Arrowe Park site this Sunday and undergo symptom screening prior to arrival on site.
“Nobody showing any symptoms will be transferred here. If anyone becomes unwell after arrival, they will be transferred quickly to another facility.
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“We do not anticipate there will be any impact on the delivery of Trust services or staff delivering services. Our role is to provide a safe place for the residents to isolate.
“The risk to the general population remains very low, and the public can be reassured that the established infection control measures will be put in place at every step of the journey to ensure the safe repatriation of British passengers on board.”
A joint statement issued by NHS England North West, NHS Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board, Merseyside Police, North West Ambulance Service and Wirral Council reads: “In line with advice from the UK Health Security Agency, on arrival they will be taken to a managed setting for clinical assessment and testing.
“We expect this initial stay to be up to 72 hours. Following this, public health specialists will assess whether they can isolate at home or at another suitable location, based on their living arrangements.
“The risk to the general population remains very low. Our partner organisations are working together to ensure that all returning passengers are welcomed, comfortable and well supported throughout their stay.
“We would like to thank our staff and partners across the NHS, emergency services and local government for their professionalism and dedication in coordinating this response, and we will continue to work closely with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and other partners throughout.”
This story originally appeared on Express.co.uk
