Regional leader of Spain's Canary Islands rejects hantavirus-hit cruise docking there
Regional leader of Spain's Canary Islands rejects hantavirus-hit cruise docking there
ReutersWed, May 6, 2026 at 8:45 AM UTC
0
1 / 0Cruise ship terminal at the port in Santa Cruz de TenerifeView of the the cruise ship terminal at the port in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain, May 6, 2026. The luxury cruise ship, MV Hondius that has been hit by an outbreak of the deadly hantavirus is set to dock at the Canary Island of Tenerife, Spanish state broadcaster TVE reported on Wednesday, citing sources from the country's health ministry, while the regional government of the Canary Islands is opposed to allowing the cruise ship to dock on the archipelago, its leader, Fernando Clavijo said. REUTERS/Borja Suarez
(Corrects paragraph 3 to reflect Clavijo leads a coalition with the People's Party (not "belongs to the People's Party")
MADRID, May 6 (Reuters) - The regional government of Spain's Canary Islands is opposed to allowing a luxury cruise ship that has been hit by an outbreak of the deadly hantavirus to dock on the archipelago, its leader, Fernando Clavijo, said on Wednesday.
"This decision is not based on any technical criteria, nor is there sufficient information to reassure the public or guarantee their safety," Clavijo told radio station COPE.
Advertisement
He added that he had requested an urgent meeting with Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to discuss the issue. Clavijo leads a coalition with the conservative People's Party - the main opposition to Sanchez's Socialists.
Earlier on Wednesday, Spanish state broadcaster TVE reported the cruise ship was set to dock at the Canary island of Tenerife, citing sources from the country's health ministry. The ministry did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment.
(Reporting by David Latona; Editing by Charlie Devereux)
Source: “AOL Breaking”