The group of nine Britons from St Helena and Ascension Island will complete their self-isolation in the UK and be kept under close monitoring by the NHS
Paige Ingram Multimedia Journalist, Peter Hennessy UK & World News Editor and Izzie Addison Press Association
00:52, 18 May 2026
The MV Hondius docked in Tenerife on May 11(Image: Getty Images)
A healthcare worker who developed hantavirus symptoms on a remote British overseas territory is undergoing treatment at a London hospital, while nine people connected to the MV Hondius cruise ship outbreak are set to arrive in the UK.
A group of nine Britons from St Helena and Ascension Island, who may have been exposed to hantavirus but are displaying no symptoms, are expected to arrive in the UK on Sunday evening, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) confirmed, reports the Mirror.
This comes after a healthcare worker from Ascension Island was transported to the High Consequence Infectious Diseases unit at Guy’s and St Thomas’s NHS Foundation Trust on Saturday. The medic was flown to the UK for a “specialist assessment” after displaying symptoms, described as a “highly precautionary measure” by the UKHSA.
“As there is no specialist infectious diseases unit on Ascension Island, the decision was made to bring them to the UK to ensure they receive the best possible support at a HCID unit should they become unwell,” the UKHSA said in an update on Saturday. The individual will undergo further testing and assessment at the unit.”
The group scheduled to arrive on Sunday will complete their self-isolation in the UK, supported by the NHS’s High Consequence Infectious Diseases network should they fall ill, the UKHSA confirmed. Those affected will be taken to Arrowe Park Hospital on the Wirral, the same facility that housed passengers from the MV Hondius. Dr Meera Chand, deputy director at the UKHSA, said: “UKHSA will continue to work with our partners locally, nationally and internationally to ensure everyone has the necessary support in place.”
British passengers have disembarked from the MV Hondius and head by coach to the airport at Granadilla Port in Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain on May 10, 2026.(Image: Anadolu via Getty Images)
“We are undertaking safe repatriation of those affected by the outbreak where appropriate, incorporating medical checks and support, with the latest flight arriving tonight. We are committed to keeping these passengers and the wider population safe and will remain in close contact with them as they complete their self-isolation period.”
On Saturday, one person was discharged from Arrowe Park Hospital to complete their 45-day isolation period at home, following a clinical and public health assessment confirming it was safe to do so, the UKHSA confirmed.
A further six individuals returned home from the hospital to continue their self-isolation on Thursday last week. Those isolating at home and those who remain in hospital are being closely monitored, it added.
The UKHSA announced on Friday evening that three members of the UK Public Health Rapid Support Team (UK-PHRST) had been deployed to the UK overseas territories in the South Atlantic, following a request for assistance from the island’s government.
An officer wearing protective gear as passengers leave the MV Hondius cruise ship(Image: Alberto Valdes/EPA/Shutterstock)
The deployed team comprises two microbiologists, Clara Milroy and Kimberley Steeds, who will provide support with PCR testing for hantavirus while also helping to rule out other conditions, the UKHSA confirmed on its website. They are joined by infection prevention and control specialist Anthony Twyman, who will assist Jamestown General Hospital in preparing for and managing any potential cases through assessments and training.
The three-member team is set to remain on the island for the next eight weeks, according to the agency.
The outbreak aboard the cruise ship has led to at least 11 reported cases amongst passengers, three of which have proved fatal. Public Health Scotland issued a warning on Thursday that a small number of people in Scotland may have potentially been exposed to the virus, adding that it was working to contact “a small number of individuals” who could be affected.
