A woman from Barcelona remains isolated in the Clínic Hospital after being confirmed as a close contact of the Dutch passenger who died from hantavirus. Health authorities located this new affected person thanks to the intervention of the Coordination Center for Health Alerts and Emergencies, which detected a seat change during the KLM flight that was not included in the initial records.
The Department of Health has decided to keep the patient in quarantine within the Barcelona hospital center instead of transferring her to the military hospital in Madrid. This measure responds to the protocol approved last Friday, whose objective is to avoid unnecessary interactions during transport. This is the second close contact identified in Catalonia related to this outbreak.
Tests determine the duration of isolation
Toni Castells, healthcare director of Hospital Clínic, has explained that the medical team will perform a blood and saliva PCR on the woman this Saturday. The results will be available within 24 hours and will mark the health roadmap to follow. If the test is negative, the woman will maintain the preventive quarantine for between three and six weeks, which corresponds to the incubation period of the virus.
Castells has clarified that the degree of exposure was very low, as the patient was at a distance of two or three rows from the infected person. The health official has stressed that the contact of a contact is not considered a direct risk case. Therefore, people who have been related to this woman should not harbor any concern.
No one else will be tracked if the PCR is negative.
The activation of an exhaustive contact tracing for this patient is exclusively subject to the PCR results being positive. Meanwhile, Catalan health authorities insist that there is no evidence of community transmission or risk to the general population. The Barcelona City Council has activated epidemiological surveillance protocols preventively to guarantee control of the situation.
Institutions transmit calm regarding the operation in Tenerife
Jaume Collboni, mayor of Barcelona, and Salvador Illa, president of the Generalitat de Catalunya, have sent a message of reassurance to the citizens. Both leaders have highlighted confidence in the health institutions and the coordinated monitoring carried out together with the Agència de Salut Pública de Barcelona. The strategy focuses on containing the case without social alarmism.
In parallel, the management of the affected cruise ship is moving towards its logistical conclusion.
Mónica García, Minister of Health, has confirmed that the vessel will arrive in Tenerife between 4 and 6 in the morning on Sunday, May 10. The head of Health has described the evacuation as an unprecedented operation involving travelers from 23 different countries.
"It is an unprecedented and never-before-seen operation, and people from 23 countries must be evacuated." - Mónica García, Minister of Health
Fernando Grande-Marlaska, Minister of the Interior, has detailed the security measures for the disembarkation. The evacuated individuals will use FFP2 masks and will only have contact with specific personnel of the repatriation device. This guarantees that there is no risk to the civilian population on the islands. García has also specified that neither the passengers' luggage nor the body of the deceased person will disembark in the Canary Islands.
The other passenger on the same flight who remained for a week in Barcelona during the non-infectious incubation period has already returned to her country. This woman did not maintain close contact during her stay and is asymptomatic. The surveillance system remains active to detect any anomaly within the timelines established by experts.