European coordination to deal with the Hanta virus outbreak

The European Commission announced that it is coordinating and supporting the response of European national authorities to deal with the outbreak of the “Hantavirus” virus, stressing that the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control assesses the level of risk to the general population in Europe as “very low”, in light of the application of appropriate prevention and control measures, and because the viruses that cause the disease are not easily transmitted between humans.

The Commission said, in a statement, that the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism has provided safe evacuations for passengers on board the cruise ship MV Hondius, since the mechanism was activated at the request of Spain on May 6.

She added that five flights to return citizens to their countries, coordinated by the European Union, had already launched on Sunday, May 10, from the island of Tenerife, where the ship was anchored, and were carried out by France, Spain, the Netherlands, Greece, and Ireland, while the sixth and final flight was being carried out by the Netherlands.

She explained that she had also mobilized the response capabilities and stocks of the European Strategic Reserve, as a medical evacuation plane belonging to the European Union fleet and stationed in Norway was deployed on the island of Tenerife, in addition to preparing to deploy additional protective equipment and logistical and transport capabilities when needed.

She pointed out that the European Union Emergency Response Coordination Center sent a liaison officer to Tenerife to support field coordination with the competent authorities, while the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control deployed two experts from the European health work team on board the ship before the passengers were disembarked from it.

The Commission confirmed that the European Union is working to coordinate a joint health response in close cooperation with Spain, member states and countries participating in the Civil Protection Mechanism, in addition to the World Health Organization and the G7 partners.

She pointed out that the European Health Security Committee, which is chaired by the Commission, brings together national health authorities and works to coordinate procedures for safe disembarkation from the ship, returning passengers to their countries, and following up on their health conditions.

The statement added that coordination meetings are held on a daily basis within the Civil Protection Mechanism and the Multilateral Health Security and Communications Committee, with the aim of exchanging information, updating operational plans, following up on any potential cases, and ensuring that the European response is consistent with developments in the situation.

The Commission stressed that its priority is to protect citizens, support those directly affected, and help member states take rapid joint action based on the latest scientific data.