Cork woman ready for transfer from virus ship to government jet says: 'We're grand'
Disembarking the passengers from the cruise ship began this morning with Spain beginning evacuations of the ship by nationality.
The government jet landed this afternoon at Tenerife Airport and the two Irish passengers on board the hantavirus-hit polar expedition ship will now be taken ashore.
Both Ann Lane, from Cork, and her travelling companion, from Dublin, are still on board the ship.
A team of officials from the HSE, the Department of Health and the Department of Foreign Affairs are due to go to the Canary Islands port where the ship arrived at around 5.30am this morning.
All passengers have been told they are not being allowed to leave the ship until their respective government jets or chartered flights have landed at Tenerife.
The government jet took off from Dublin at 12.35pm and landed soon after 4pm, Irish-time.
Asked by how both women were feeling, 80-year-old author Ann Lane from Millstreet, replied: “We’re grand.”
Her friend Senator Aubrey McCarthy had earlier told that Ann was “upbeat” and looking forward to finally coming back to Ireland.
She was speaking a few hours before Cork-born author Ann Lane and her travelling companion arrived at the main harbour at Tenerife around 5.30am this morning.
The ship, the , was escorted in the last part of its journey to the Canary Island port by patrol vessel belonging to the Spanish Civil Guard's Maritime Service (SEMAR) and a large emergency response vessel operated by the Spanish Sea Rescue Organisation (SASEMAR).
The disembarking of passengers from the cruise ship hit by the outbreak began this morning with Spain beginning evacuations of the ship by nationality.
If people test negative and are not displaying symptoms, they will be taken straight to a chartered repatriation flight staffed by medical professionals and containing personal protective equipment such as face masks.
In a post on social media on Sunday morning, World Health Organisation (WHO) director general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said: “The disembarkment of the first group of MV Hondius passengers has started.
“WHO experts on the ground are working with the Spanish Health Ministry on the epidemiological assessment of the passengers and coordinating charter flights with the Interior Ministry.”
It anchored a short distance away from harbour facilities but within the port itself to protect it from any inclement sea conditions.
Stormy weather is expected in the coming days, so Spanish officials are trying to make sure the evacuation of passengers will conclude by mid-day on Monday.
Ms Lane herself didn’t want to say anything in the hours last night as the ship slowly approached the Canaries at little more than 7 knots.
But Senator Aubrey McCarthy, who has helped arrange Ms Lane’s repatriation back to Ireland, said last night: “I was chatting to her earlier and she is very happy with the Department of Health and the consular officials at the Department of Foreign Affairs.
Ms Lane, who has travelled on the ship five previous times, and her travelling companion from Dublin, are due to be ferried from the cruise ship to a cordoned off area of the harbour.
As well as staffed by medical staff from the World Health Organisation (WHO), which is co-ordinating the arrival of passengers from the ship, the area has been secured by armed members of Spain’s Guardia Civil police force.
Ms Lane and her travelling companion will then, like every other disembarking passenger, will each be screened for any symptoms of the virus to see what condition they are in.
They will then be escorted to meet officials from the Irish government, including from the Department of Foreign Affairs.
They will be transferred to Ireland’s government jet and flown back to Ireland, where they will expect to have to be isolated at a HSE facility for up to around five to six weeks.
The incubation period for the virus is around six weeks but neither Ms Lane nor her travelling companion have shown any of the virus’ symptoms – which can include extreme fatigue, muscle aches, vomiting and shortness of breath – since a passenger died on April 11.
His wife died after leaving the ship with his remains and a third person died on May 2.
While the virus is usually transmitted to humans via rats and mice, it is understood the first victim had the virus before they boarded the ship.
Ms Lane has previously told of her shock at learning for the first time that passengers had fallen ill and then died from the virus.
She, however, kept her spirits up by reading, watching Netflix films, and going for regular walks aboard the ship which anchored off Cape Verde after passengers started falling ill.
In total, there have been three deaths and five other people have fallen ill and are described as being critical but stable in hospital intensive care units.
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