The m/v Hondius will depart tomorrow from Spitsbergen, Norway for a cruise, reports a spokesperson for shipping company Oceanwide Expeditions. This is the first funeral since the hantavirus broke out on the ship. The Arctic expedition will have 137 guests and a doctor on board.
Source: ANP
The hantavirus broke out on the ship, which also had 2 Belgians on board, in April. That cost the lives of three people, including two Dutch people. Several people became infected. Last week, a new case was announced: a British man living on Tristan da Cunha, the most remote inhabited island in the world. Paratroopers landed on the island of Tristan da Cunha last month with a medical team to test him.
The Hondius was previously thoroughly cleaned in Rotterdam and declared clean by the Rotterdam-Rijnmond Health Service (GGD) and experts in the field of infection prevention, after the GGD had seen shortcomings in cleaning during an earlier inspection. All hard surfaces on the cruise ship have been disinfected with hydrogen peroxide. The soft surfaces have been cleaned with hot steam.