Australia charters flight to bring nationals home from hantavirus-stricken luxury cruise

Australia will repatriate four citizens and one permanent resident from the MV Hondius, the ship at the centre of the hantavirus outbreak , on a charter flight due to land in Perth on Tuesday. The ship, carrying 146 people, arrived at Tenerife, the largest of Spain’s Canary Islands, on Sunday morning after three people died of the virus and eight others became ill. Passengers and crew were confined to their cabins to help stop the spread of the virus. An Australian government spokesperson said the group of five people would travel on the charter flight alongside medical personnel who will monitor them and provide assistance if needed. One New Zealand citizen will also travel on the plane. The flight will leave Tenerife at 5pm, local time, on Monday, the last to leave the Canary Islands. Sign up for the Breaking News Australia email The Australians and permanent resident being repatriated live in New South Wales and Queensland, and the government is finalising quarantine arrangements, which will be the responsibility of the states to administer. “The Australian government’s number one priority is the safety of passengers and the Australian community,” the spokesperson said. “The Australian government is working closely with state authorities to coordinate arrival, health and transport arrangements. …