Hantavirus cruise evacuees secure flight to Australia

Six passengers on a cruise ship at the center of a deadly hantavirus outbreak will return to Australia soon after the government confirmed a flight had been arranged for the evacuees.

Four Australian citizens, one permanent resident and one New Zealander, evacuated from the MV Hondius will disembark in Perth on Friday ahead of a three-week quarantine.

Federal Health Minister Mark Butler confirmed that the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade had secured a suitable aircraft and crew to transport the group, which would land in the Netherlands at 4pm Sydney time and take off approximately 90 minutes later.

“Obviously, Foreign Affairs and Trade have also obtained all the necessary permits and approvals for travel from the Netherlands to Perth,” he told reporters on Thursday. he said.

“The six passengers remain in good health, all tested negative for hantavirus and show no symptoms.”

Passengers and crew will wear Personal Protective Equipment during the flight and upon arrival at RAAF Base Pearce, northeast of Perth.

“There are very strict requirements around flight, landing and quarantine regulations,” Mr Butler said.

The evacuees will spend three weeks in Bullsbrook, a federal government-run quarantine facility established during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Staff from the national critical care and trauma response centre, based in Darwin, were deployed to the facility on Friday, ready to welcome passengers.

“These are specialist staff with experience in infectious disease emergencies as well as other emergencies,” Mr Butler said.

MV Hondius was carrying 147 passengers and crew from 23 countries when it left Argentina on April 1.

Three passengers died after traveling on the ship, and there are several more suspected or confirmed cases of hantavirus.