Last Hondius passengers flying to the Netherlands on Monday evening

The last passengers from the hantavirus-hit Hondius cruise ship are being flown to the Netherlands on Monday, the Dutch Foreign Ministry said.

A plane chartered by the Dutch government is due to land in Eindhoven late on Monday evening carrying 19 members of the crew, 17 of them from the Philippines, one from the Netherlands and one from Germany. A doctor and two epidemiologists are also on the plane.

A second plane chartered by Australian authorities will also take off from Tenerife on Monday evening for arrival in Eindhoven after midnight. It is carrying six passengers from Australia and New Zealand who will be quarantined briefly in Eindhoven before flying on to Australia.

The Dutch-flagged Hondius is scheduled to leave Tenerife with the remaining crew on Monday evening. It is expected in Rotterdam on Saturday, where it will be disinfected.

Shortly before the final passengers departed the Hondius, the ship was attached to a pier at the port in Granadilla due to high winds, according to Spanish broadcaster RTVE.

The Canary Islands regional government had previously insisted that the Hondius not be allowed to dock, as it was concerned that mice carrying the hantavirus might reach land.