Canadians on ship at centre of hantavirus outbreak land in Canada

VANCOUVER — Four Canadians who disembarked the cruise ship at the centre of a deadly hantavirus outbreak landed Sunday in B.C., where they will continue their quarantine.

Online plane tracking platform FlightAware says the aircraft carrying the Canadians arrived at the airport in Victoria from Saguenay-Bagotville Airport in Quebec.

They are to isolate in B.C. because they have connections with the province, said B.C’s health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry.

“This has undoubtedly been a stressful and difficult experience for the Canadians and everybody aboard the MV Hondius,” Henry said at a Sunday news conference.

“They are undoubtably looking forward to being back home in Canada, where they can get the care and monitoring they need.”

The Canadians were among 130 passengers on the MV Hondius, who exited the vessel at a port in Tenerife, an island in Spain’s Canary Islands early Sunday.

They were assessed as asymptomatic before they took off in a plane chartered by the Public Health Agency of Canada and Global Affairs Canada, with support from the Canadian Armed Forces. A PHAC officer ensured public health measures, including masking and physical distancing, were being followed on the flight.

They have been following strict isolation protocols on the MV Hondius since early May, when the World Health Organization declared the outbreak on the ship.

Henry said when they arrive in British Columbia, they will be taken to their lodgings.

The media were unable to gain access to the Canadian Armed Forces airbase during the stopover in Quebec.

PHAC and GAC said in a joint statement Sunday that the passengers are expected to quarantine under supervision for just over two weeks in B.C. That will bring their total quarantine time to 21 days since May 6, the last day a confirmed case of hantavirus was on the ship.

Health officials will assess the Canadians after that, the statement said, to determine whether their quarantine period needs to be extended to a maximum of 42 days in total since the last possible exposure on board the ship.

Henry reassured people there is no risk of hantavirus spread after their arrival.

“They won’t be out in the community. They won’t be having contact with people. Our public health teams will be in contact with them every day,” she said.

“We’ll make sure that they are safely able to … have their mental and physical needs taken care of during that period of time.”

Henry said the Canadians also did not show any symptoms while they were in quarantine on the ship.

“So that’s reassuring.“

Henry said that she understands people in the province may be concerned about the spread after their arrival, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I absolutely get that feeling,” she said.

“When I first heard about this … it made my stomach clench,” she said about the outbreak on the ship.

She said, however, the hantavirus does not spread in the same way as COVID-19 and is not considered a disease with pandemic potential.

Hantavirus usually spreads when people inhale contaminated residue of rodent droppings and isn’t easily transmitted between people.

Three people have died since the outbreak on the ship began, and five passengers tested positive for hantavirus, which can cause life-threatening illness.

Several other Canadians have been told to isolate after coming into contact with infected passengers.

A couple from the Grey Bruce region of Ontario disembarked from the ship in late April before the outbreak was declared and have showed no symptoms.

Four other Canadians — from Quebec, Alberta and Ontario — were not on the ship but may have come into contact with someone infected with hantavirus while flying, the federal government said.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus sought to reassure the public on Sunday, repeating that the risk for the general public from the outbreak is low.

Even so, those disembarking and personnel working at the port of Granadilla in Tenerife wore protective gear during the evacuation process, including face masks, hazmat suits, and respirators. Video obtained by The Associated Press showed passengers on the tarmac wearing similar suits and being sprayed down with disinfectant.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 10, 2026.

— With files from The Associated Press

The Canadian Press