Pushback in Canary Islands at plans for hantavirus cruise ship to dock

A plan to allow a cruise ship affected by hantavirus cases to sail to the Canary Islands has provoked political pushback in the Spanish archipelago.

Canary Islands President Fernando Clavijo on Wednesday complained about the proposal by the Spanish government and the World Health Organization (WHO) for the ship to make a stop on the islands.

He said there is a "lack of transparency" and called for an "urgent meeting" with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.

"We have so far received no information at all and no official request for a call in the Canary Islands either," Clavijo said in an interview with state broadcaster RTVE. He said his government was relying exclusively on media reports and that he had asked Sánchez and Health Minister Mónica García for talks via WhatsApp.

Spain's Health Ministry said on Tuesday evening that the decision for the ship to call at the Canary Islands was taken in coordination with the WHO and the European Union in line with international law and humanitarian principles.

The Hondius, a small cruise ship with under 150 people on board, set off from southern Argentina and is currently anchored in the Atlantic off Cape Verde on Africa's west coast amid an outbreak of hantavirus. Three passengers have died.

According to Spanish media reports, the ship is to call at the island of Tenerife, which is very popular with tourists and has the Hospital Candelaria, a clinic specializing in epidemics.

In addition, the ship's infected doctor is to be flown out to the Canary Islands in a medically equipped aircraft, media reported, citing the Health Ministry in Madrid.