Canary Islands President Opposes Hantavirus Outbreak Cruise Ship Docking

The ship remains off Cape Verde where three passengers were evacuated, as Spain said it could dock at the Canary Islands, at odds with the local leader.

Health workers in protective gear evacuate patients from the MV Hondius cruise ship at a port in Praia, Cape Verde, on May 6, 2026. Misper Apawu/AP Photo

The regional leader of Spain’s Canary ​Islands said on Wednesday he would not allow a cruise ship hit by a ​deadly hantavirus outbreak to dock on the archipelago, putting the autonomous community at odds with the national government.

“This decision is not based ​on any technical criteria, nor ​is there sufficient information to reassure the public or guarantee their safety,” Canary Islands President Fernando Clavijo told ​radio station COPE.