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After a stay of almost three weeks, the expedition ship Hondius sailed from the Port of Rotterdam. The ship made global headlines after a hantavirus outbreak was confirmed on board.
The vessel arrived in Rotterdam because the Netherlands, as the flag state, is responsible for its reception and management. Furthermore, it functions as a port of refuge for vessels in distress.
In the specific case of the Hondius, the Port of Rotterdam served as a quarantine port due to the outbreak of the infectious disease.
Within a few days, a "quarantine center" was built in Europoort, at a safe distance from residential areas and without risk to the surrounding environment, equipped with testing areas. This was carried out in collaboration between the Municipal Health Service (GGD), the Port of Rotterdam Authority, the Rotterdam-Rijnmond Safety Region, the Municipality of Rotterdam, the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), and the shipping company Oceanwide Expeditions.
Quarantine and cleaning
The 27 people on board were tested upon arrival — with exclusively negative results — and subsequently quarantined, partly in specially adapted accommodations in Europoort. The RIVM and Erasmus MC conducted investigations on board to better understand the virus.
Subsequently, a specialized company began intensive cleaning and disinfection that lasted several days, under strict safety measures and using personal protective equipment.
Since Sunday, May 31, the Hondius remained docked in Waalhaven for routine maintenance. Boudewijn Seijn, operations director of the Port of Rotterdam Authority, presented Captain Remmert Koster with the traditional port plaque there. This plaque is awarded on special occasions or during a ship's first visit to the Port of Rotterdam.
The Hondius is now heading towards Spitsbergen, Norway. There it will resume its itinerary for an Arctic expedition cruise.
Source: portalportuario
