A plane carrying 20 British nationals evacuated from the MV Hondius landed in Manchester, northwest England, on Sunday following a hantavirus outbreak aboard the vessel.
Television footage showed the special flight arriving from Tenerife, where the cruise ship is currently docked.
The passengers are expected to undergo medical tests at a hospital near Liverpool and remain in quarantine for up to 72 hours as health authorities assess the situation.
According to information released by the Spanish government, 22 British nationals were earlier evacuated from the ship, although Britain’s Press Association reported that only 20 were on the special flight to Manchester, while the remaining two were due to travel elsewhere.
British authorities had not immediately confirmed the details.
Reacting to the evacuation, Yvette Cooper thanked emergency responders and health officials involved in the operation.
“Thank you to all those who worked around the clock to get passengers from MV Hondius back to the UK by special flight this evening with public health protections in place,” Cooper wrote on X.
A spokesperson for the National Health Service said the passengers would be transported to Arrowe Park Hospital in Wirral, northwest England, for medical evaluation upon arrival.
According to the spokesperson, the group will initially remain under observation for 72 hours while authorities determine whether additional isolation measures will be necessary.
The hantavirus outbreak aboard the cruise ship has already claimed three lives, including a Dutch husband and wife as well as a German woman.
Several other passengers reportedly fell ill from the rare disease, which is commonly transmitted through contact with rodents or their droppings.
The World Health Organization confirmed on Friday that six cases of hantavirus had been verified out of eight suspected infections linked to the outbreak.
Health authorities continue to monitor passengers and crew members closely as investigations into the source and spread of the virus continue.
