Canary Islands REJECT docking of plagued cruise ship amid demand for urgent meeting with Spanish PM

The regional Government of Spain's Canary Islands has opposed permitting the cruise ship contaminated by an outbreak of the deadly hantavirus to dock on the archipelago.

The outbreak emerged aboard MV Hondius Saturday as the ship travelled from Ushuaia in Argentina towards Cape Verde off the West African coast, so far claiming three lives, with seven others reported with infection.

Fernando Clavijo, President of the Canary Islands, said today: "This decision is ⁠not based on any technical criteria, nor is there sufficient ⁠information to reassure the public or guarantee their safety."

He added that he had requested an urgent meeting with Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to discuss the issue.

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