Passengers evacuated from the ‘rat ship’ by ‘ small boat – two more potential cases in a stop-off point on the voyage in Tristan da Cunha
Dramatic parachute drop onto Tristan da Cunha by British military medics
From here:
Tenerife begins operation to evacuate rat-virus ship
First the two potential cases:
The cruise ship stopped at the remote Atlantic island in mid-April.
“Meanwhile, 3,500 miles away, British Army medics parachuted into Tristan da Cunha in the South Atlantic to treat a Briton with hantavirus.
“Six paratroopers and two military clinicians from the Parachute Regiment jumped from an RAF A400 Atlas aircraft after flying from Ascension Island early on Saturday.
The British national, who lives on the remote island, had disembarked from the MV Hondius.
The Telegraph understands that a second contact is suspected on the island – part of the British Overseas Territory of St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, according to National Geographic.
They are being monitored by health services on the island.”
Now the airlift of asymptomatic passengers.
“The evacuation of passengers on board the cruise ship at the centre of the hantavirus outbreak has begun.
The MV Hondius, which had been stranded in Cape Verde after the deaths of three passengers, anchored off Granadilla port in Tenerife at about 6am on Sunday.
The Telegraph watched on Sunday morning as a police helicopter circled over the port. Two military emergency unit buses were seen entering the sealed-off dockside emergency area, with plastic coverings on some of the seats to ferry passengers to the airport.
Health workers in biohazard suits were seen outside the tented area set to receive the evacuees and a Health Ministry official said the medical team was ready to board the boat.
Ms García said six planes, including one chartered by the UK Government, were at Tenerife’s airport. She said the first plane to take off would be the Spanish military aircraft, followed by a Dutch plane taking citizens from the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium and Greece off the island.
A second Dutch plane would take off on Monday, carrying people whose governments had not made arrangements on Monday. The last flight, due to depart on Monday afternoon, was expected to be an Australian plane carrying a passenger from New Zealand and several people from Asia.
The passengers and some crew members will then be taken off the ship in national groups and driven the short distance to Tenerife South airport.
They include 22 British citizens – 19 passengers and three crew members – waiting to be flown back to the UK for tests at an isolation unit at Arrowe Park Hospital in Wirral, Merseyside.
Prof Robin May, chief scientific officer of the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), said: “We continue to work at pace with our international partners to ensure the safe repatriation of British nationals from the MV Hondius.
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I would refer you to the UK column section dealing with this supposed threat. https://www.ukcolumn.org/video/uk-column-news-8th-may-2026
Some of it is quite funny, though I do have an odd sense of humour. These days one has to cultivate such things. And sing, to raise the spirits.