90-Second Read: WHO chief says "work not over" after evacuation of Hantavirus-stricken cruise ship

The fate of the MV Hondius has sparked international alarm after three passengers died in an outbreak of the rare virus for which no vaccines or specific treatments exist. Yet health officials have stressed that the global public health risk is low and rejected comparisons to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said it doesn't make sense to sound "a five-alarm fire bell" because the risk to the public from Hantavirus is "much, much lower" than what we saw with the COVID-19 pandemic.

But of course the situation could change, and given the long incubation period of the virus, it's possible we might see more cases in the coming weeks. More than 120 passengers and crew on the MV Hondius were flown out from Spain's Canary Islands on Sunday and Monday, and countries have adopted different health measures for their returning evacuees. Most countries have followed the WHO's guidelines, which include a 42-day quarantine and constant monitoring of high-risk contacts.

The MV Hondius presented diplomatic challenges as different countries negotiated over who would receive it and treat its passengers. Spain allowed the vessel to anchor off the Canary Islands for the evacuation of passengers and crew on Sunday and Monday, but Cape Verde's regional government fiercely opposed the measure. Cape Verde, an archipelago off Africa's west coast, refused to receive the ship, and it remained anchored offshore the capital Praia as three people were evacuated to Europe by air last week.