The cruise ship MV Hondius arrived at the port of Rotterdam on the morning of May 18. Numerous media representatives greeted the ship, which had been transferred from the Caribbean Islands to Europe. Dutch authorities have set up special quarantine rooms at the port for foreign crew members in case repatriation to their home countries is not immediately possible.
There are a total of 25 crew members on board: two Dutch citizens, 17 Filipinos, four Ukrainians, and one each from Poland and Russia. None of the crew members currently show symptoms of hantavirus infection. The ship also holds the body of a German passenger who died from the hantavirus last week.
After docking, all crew members are to undergo medical testing. The ship itself will be thoroughly disinfected, a process expected to take about a week. Ukrainian authorities have been informed of the situation and are in contact with those affected.
