OTTAWA — Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand says one consular officer has arrived in the Canary Islands, where four Canadians on a cruise ship that was hit with a hantavirus outbreak are set to arrive Sunday morning.
Anand tells The Canadian Press that roughly 50 foreign service workers have been tasked with reaching out to those affected by the outbreak and responding to questions from Canadians.
The minister says Canada’s embassies in The Hague and Madrid are helping, along with emergency support, human resources and financial teams.
The cruise ship is owned by a Dutch company and it will arrive in Tenerife, a Spanish island off the coast of Africa.
Federal officials are set to issue an update on their response to the outbreak at a press conference today.
Ontario’s chief medical officer of health says two Ontario residents who were on the ship are in good spirits and are showing no symptoms while isolating in their rural community.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 8, 2026.
Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press
