24 Filipino crew members from Hantavirus-hit ship to quarantined in The Netherlands

International

TWENTY-FOUR of the 38 Filipino crew members aboard the hantavirus-hit cruise ship MV Hondius will be flown to the Netherlands for quarantine, according to the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW).

DMW Secretary Hans Cacdac said the 24 Filipino crew members, who work as hotel stewards on the Dutch-flagged vessel, are set to be repatriated in batches. Four crew members were scheduled to leave within the day, while the remaining workers are expected to travel on Monday.

“And there in the Netherlands, they will commence their quarantine period, which will run up to about six weeks,” Cacdac said during a virtual press conference per a report by Inquirer.net.

The remaining 14 Filipino crew members, who are part of the ship’s deck and engine staff, will stay onboard as the MV Hondius sails from Tenerife, Spain to Rotterdam in the Netherlands.

Cacdac said the 14 crew members will also begin a six-week quarantine once the ship arrives in Rotterdam.

“Now, what happens after the six-week quarantine period to the Netherlands is that all 38 Filipino crew will ultimately fly home to the Philippines,” he added.

Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa explained that the quarantine period is necessary because hantavirus may take up to 45 days before symptoms appear after exposure.

Herbosa also said the Filipino crew members would no longer need additional testing once they return to the Philippines. He reiterated that hantavirus does not spread as quickly as COVID-19 and is not expected to cause a similar pandemic.

The MV Hondius earlier docked in Spain’s Canary Islands after concerns over possible hantavirus exposure onboard. (Adriane Josef E. Cabase, USJ-R Comm Intern)