The Spanish government is facing criticism for sending mixed signals over how it plans to handle passengers of a virus-stricken cruise due to dock in the Canary Islands this weekend.
Over the past 24 hours, authorities in Madrid have issued mixed messages on how the country intends to process the 147 passengers travelling aboard the MV Hondius, the cruise ship on which a hantavirus outbreak has already resulted in the death of three travelers.
While there is consensus that all non-native asymptomatic passengers will be repatriated to their home countries, the future for the 14 Spaniards aboard the ship is uncertain.
Defense Minister Margarita Robles on Wednesday said Spanish passengers would be transferred by military plane to Madrid’s Gómez-Ulla Military Hospital — a specialized medical center with high-level isolation units — where they will undergo medical observation. But, she noted, further quarantine of the Spaniards would be “voluntary,” because people who don’t show symptoms cannot be forced into isolation.
