Arabic version: وصول ستة ركاب من سفينة سياحية مصابة بفيروس هانتا إلى بيرث
Six passengers from the MV Hondius cruise ship, which experienced a hantavirus outbreak, are scheduled to arrive in Perth on Friday. The group includes four Australians, one Australian permanent resident, and one New Zealand citizen, who have all tested negative for the virus and are symptom-free, according to ABC News.
The passengers were evacuated earlier this week and arrived in the Netherlands on Tuesday. A repatriation flight is set to depart from the Netherlands at 5:30 PM AEST, landing at RAAF Air Base Pearce in Perth on Friday. Upon arrival, they will be transferred to the Bullsbrook Centre for National Resilience, located approximately 40 kilometers north-east of the city, where they will undergo a mandatory quarantine for at least three weeks.
Federal Health Minister Mark Butler emphasized the importance of ongoing testing, stating that while the passengers are currently symptom-free, they will be subject to further PCR tests upon their arrival in Australia. Staff from the National Critical Care and Trauma Response Centre have been deployed to the quarantine facility to ensure the passengers receive appropriate care.
The World Health Organization has reported 11 cases of hantavirus associated with the outbreak, including three fatalities. Recent cases have also been confirmed in France and Spain, with one inconclusive result in the United States. Minister Butler reassured the public that hantavirus transmission between humans is very rare and requires close contact, although monitoring of the situation will continue closely.
