The cruise ship that has been affected by a hantavirus outbreak is expected to reach the Spanish island of Tenerife in the early hours of Sunday, the cruise’s operator said on Friday.

“Preparations regarding our point of arrival, quarantine and screening procedures for all guests, and the onward travel plans for all guests and affected crew are being led by organisations from several countries,” Oceanwide Expeditions said in a statement.

These include the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Dutch authorities, and are in close cooperation with Spanish authorities, it added.

The operator stated that no one on board the Dutch-flagged cruise liner HV Hondius was showing symptoms as of Friday.

After docking at the port of Granadilla in Tenerife, authorities will take charge of the medical procedures and the passengers’ potential return home, Oceanwide Expeditions said.

The Hondius was anchored off the shore of Cape Verde, an archipelago nation off the West African coast, for several days as news of the hantavirus outbreak emerged, and is currently en route to Tenerife.

Three people–a Dutch elderly couple and a woman from Germany–have died in connection with the outbreak on the small cruise ship, which set off from southern Argentina with under 150 people on board on April 1.

The WHO on Friday reported six confirmed cases of hantavirus, including the three deaths, and two suspected cases. 

(dpa/NAN)