Five U.S. passengers from hantavirus-hit cruise ship depart quarantine in Omaha

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — After spending three weeks at the National Quarantine Unit in Omaha, five passengers from the hantavirus-hit cruise ship have returned home.

Those passengers will continue to be monitored for the next 21 days under the jurisdiction of their local and state health departments.

Officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention requested that the passengers from the MV Hondius stay at the NQU through May 31.

Travel for the former passengers was coordinated through the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response and each passenger’s local and state health departments.

Officials said the individuals did not travel commercially, and appropriate biocontainment measures were in place during their transport.

Because symptoms of hantavirus can take up to 42 days to appear, officials said all 18 former U.S. passengers were “strongly encouraged” to complete their full period at the NQU.

Thirteen of the passengers remain in Omaha for monitoring.

Gov. Jim Pillen issued the following statement upon the departure of the passengers:

“This is a positive development and the product of the ongoing partnership between the state of Nebraska, UNMC, and our federal health partners. While it is encouraging that many of our guests are remaining at the NQU for the last few weeks of their hantavirus quarantine, those who have elected to go home are doing so with a lower risk profile and in close coordination with health authorities in their destination states.

As I have made clear from the beginning of this event, no guest who poses a public health risk will leave the NQU onto the streets of Omaha in an unsecured way or at an inappropriate time. These thoughtful and well-coordinated departures meet that standard.

I’m grateful to our counterparts in other state governments, our federal health partners in the Trump Administration, and the world-class professionals at UNMC for all their hard work.”