Photographs have revealed the interior of the Arrowe Park Hospital accommodation block where passengers from the MV Hondius cruise ship, at the center of a suspected hantavirus outbreak, are being quarantined.
This same accommodation unit was previously used in 2020 as the initial COVID-19 isolation facility when 93 British citizens were repatriated from Wuhan, China.
Health officials confirmed that 22 individuals arrived at Arrowe Park on Sunday, May 10. The group includes 20 British nationals, one German citizen residing in the UK, and one Japanese traveller from the MV Hondius. All are currently under medical supervision.
READ MORE: Frustration Grows as Gloucestershire Home Birth Suspensions Extended Until Autumn
READ MORE: David Cameron Proposes Expansive Vegetable Garden at Cotswolds Home
Tragically, three people died during the outbreak aboard the ship. One confirmed case involved a 69-year-old Dutch woman who contracted the rodent-borne hantavirus. The cause of the other two deaths remains under investigation.
The travellers arrived by coach at approximately 10:30 pm on Sunday evening and are expected to remain in quarantine for 72 hours. The accommodation block is separate from the main hospital building, enhancing containment efforts. Both drivers and accompanying staff were observed wearing masks and blue personal protective equipment (PPE).
The passengers themselves also wore masks, and their coaches were escorted by police vehicles, according to reports from the Liverpool Echo.
Footage from the original 2020 COVID-19 quarantine shows that the flats—normally reserved for staff—are fully equipped to accommodate occupants comfortably. Residents were allowed to open windows, providing views of the surrounding woodland and hospital grounds.
British passengers were removed from the MV Hondius shortly after 4 pm on Sunday and transported by coach from Granadilla de Abona port to Tenerife South Airport. Some British travellers were seen waving and giving thumbs-up gestures while wearing PPE as they passed members of the media.
A joint statement from NHS England North West, NHS Cheshire and Merseyside ICB, Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Merseyside Police, North West Ambulance Service, and Wirral Council reassured the public that the hospital continues operating normally. The quarantined travellers are housed in separate facilities apart from the main hospital.
If any occupants develop symptoms while at Arrowe Park, they will be transferred to the Royal Liverpool University Hospital for further care. Janelle Holmes, CEO of Wirral University Teaching Hospital Trust, also confirmed that those leaving the facility will be prohibited from using public transport and must self-isolate for 45 days upon returning home.