Update: Spain Begins Final Evacuation of Hantavirus Cruise Ship Passengers
Mirian Gom 
ABUJA, Nigeria – Spanish authorities say the final evacuation flight for passengers aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship affected by a deadly hantavirus outbreak will depart the Canary Islands on Monday.
The Dutch-flagged vessel arrived at the industrial port of Granadilla in Tenerife early Sunday after weeks of international concern following three deaths linked to the outbreak.
Spanish Health Minister Monica Garcia on Sunday says all passengers are currently asymptomatic and undergoing final medical evaluations before disembarkation.
“The last flight of the entire procedure is scheduled for tomorrow, which is the flight to Australia,” Garcia tells reporters in Tenerife.
According to Spanish authorities, the first evacuation flight will transport 14 Spanish nationals, followed by a Dutch flight carrying citizens from Germany, Belgium, Greece and some crew members.
Additional flights are scheduled for passengers from Canada, Turkey, France, the United Kingdom, Ireland and the United States.
The outbreak aboard the MV Hondius has drawn global attention after three passengers — a Dutch couple and a German woman — died following exposure to the Andes strain of hantavirus, the only known variant capable of human-to-human transmission.
Regional authorities in the Canary Islands previously resisted allowing the ship to dock because of public health concerns, authorising it instead to remain anchored offshore.
Officials warn that worsening weather conditions could force the vessel to leave the area from Monday.
The World Health Organization earlier stated that the outbreak poses a low risk to the general public despite international alarm surrounding the incident.
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Korede Abdullah 
Hussaini Ibrahim