Spain will receive the hantavirus-stricken MV Hondius at Granadilla on Tenerife within three days, Health Minister Monica Garcia Gomez said on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, overriding opposition from the Canary Islands regional government. A joint system for health assessment and evacuation will be activated to repatriate passengers unless medical conditions prevent travel.

Fourteen Spanish nationals aboard the vessel, including one crew member, will be transferred to Madrid’s Gomez Ulla Military Hospital for treatment, Garcia Gomez said, adding that authorities are monitoring the international alert “minute by minute” to prevent any spread of the virus. The government confirmed Tuesday it would receive the ship in the Canary Islands under international law and humanitarian principles, citing the archipelago’s medical capabilities after Cape Verde declined to conduct the operation.

The Dutch-flagged MV Hondius, carrying 88 passengers and 59 crew of 23 nationalities, has been anchored off Cape Verde since May 3, 2026, after the World Health Organization was informed Saturday, May 2, 2026, of three deaths suspected to be from hantavirus. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said three suspected cases, including a doctor, were evacuated and are en route to the Netherlands for treatment; a Canary Islands source said a medical evacuation flight to transfer a doctor to the archipelago was canceled without explanation.

The Health Ministry said it had maintained “constant contact” with Canary Islands President Fernando Clavijo, who will participate in all meetings, despite regional objections. Spain stated it has a moral and legal obligation to assist those aboard, including Spanish citizens, with medical teams set to examine, treat, and repatriate all passengers and crew once the ship docks. The MV Hondius, which left Ushuaia, Argentina, on April 1, 2026, remains at the center of an international health alert as Spain prepares to execute the docking and medical response plan.

The vessel is scheduled to dock at Granadilla within three days, where onboard medical assessments will determine repatriation and transfer protocols. The court of public health and operational coordination will remain active as Spain and the WHO oversee containment and treatment efforts.