Australia will charter a flight to evacuate its citizens from a Dutch-flagged luxury cruise ship linked to a deadly hantavirus outbreak, with returning passengers quarantined on arrival, the government said on Monday.
Eight people no longer on the MV Hondius have fallen ill, according to a World Health Organisation tally from Friday, of which six are confirmed to have contracted the virus. Three have died, a Dutch couple and a German national.
Environment Minister Murray Watt said four Australians, one resident of Tenerife and one resident of New Zealand, will be repatriated.
“This is being done via an Australian government-supported flight, and we expect those people to return to Australia soon,” Watt told reporters in Canberra.