THE HAGUE, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Dutch cruise operator Oceanwide Expeditions confirmed late Tuesday that two crew members suspected of having hantavirus will be evacuated to the Netherlands, though no specific timeline has been provided.
"The medical evacuation of two individuals currently requiring urgent medical care, and the individual associated with the guest who passed away on May 2, will occur using two specialized aircraft that are en route to Cape Verde," the company said in a statement.
Once the three individuals have been safely transferred and are on their way to the Netherlands, the Dutch-flagged cruise ship Hondius, where the cases were detected, will begin repositioning.
"Our plan is to proceed to the Canary Islands, either Gran Canaria or Tenerife, which will take three days of sailing," the statement added, noting that discussions with relevant authorities are ongoing.
The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday that seven hantavirus cases had been reported aboard Hondius, while emphasizing that the overall risk to the public remains low.
