Spanish health authorities on Friday identified a second monitored contact linked to the hantavirus outbreak on cruise ship MV Hondius after tracing a woman living in Catalonia who had shared a flight with a Dutch traveler died from the virus.
Spain's Center for Coordination of Health Alerts and Emergencies said the woman is asymptomatic and was initially missed during contact tracing because of a seat change on the aircraft.
According to health authorities, the woman now meets the criteria for monitored contact under a newly approved national surveillance protocol and will remain under medical observation.
This came after the suspected case of hantavirus detected in Alicante. Spanish Secretary of State for Health Javier Padilla said on Friday that the health authorities had taken relevant measures.
In addition, Padilla confirmed that all 14 Spanish passengers aboard the MV Hondius had agreed to undergo voluntary quarantine measures in order to minimize the risk of further transmission.
The Dutch-operated expedition cruise ship, currently heading toward Spain's Canary Islands, has so far been linked to three deaths.
Padilla said a team from the Spanish Health Ministry would travel to Tenerife on Saturday ahead of the ship's expected arrival on Sunday.
Passengers are expected to disembark by small boats before being transferred under strict isolation measures. Spanish citizens aboard the vessel will be transported to Madrid for quarantine observation.
The British Health Security Agency announced Friday that a suspected hantavirus case has been detected on the South Atlantic island of Tristan da Cunha, linked to the ongoing outbreak aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship.
The vessel stopped at Tristan da Cunha between April 13 and 15.
Spain identifies second suspected hantavirus case linked to cruise ship outbreak
Spain identifies second suspected hantavirus case linked to cruise ship outbreak
Angola's National Assembly President Adao de Almeida has praised China's legislative model, saying citizen participation gives parliamentary decisions broader legitimacy and better serves public interests.
De Almeida made the remarks during an interview with China Media Group (CMG) as part of his China trip from Sept. 9 to 16. While in Shanghai on Sept. 15, he toured the Hongqiao Street grassroots legislative contact point and a local practice station for whole-process people's democracy, learning about how public opinions are collected and legislative suggestions are adopted.
"We have learned in more detail about how China's legislative system operates and how citizens participate in the legislative process. As a parliamentary institution, if we can involve citizens in parliamentary affairs and decision-making, we can give relevant decisions a broader legitimacy basis and more fully reflect the representativeness of citizens. Because the decisions made and laws passed in this way can better fit the interests of citizens and respond to their demands," said De Almeida.
Turning to China's major legislative milestones, including its Civil Code and new Ecological Environment Code, De Almeida highlighted how strong regulatory frameworks drive modernization.
"China's progress in modernization and digital transformation demonstrates institutional advantages, complete values, development vision and strong execution. Undoubtedly, regulatory mechanisms are a crucial, indispensable and decisive part of this system. Modernization is closely related to digitalization and digital transformation. We are all witnessing the world's evolution in this field, and China is at the forefront of this process," he said.
He added that it is commendable to ensure that modernization and social transformation follow ethical standards and uphold common human values through specific regulatory measures.
"The same applies to environmental legislation. Environmental protection and climate change are perhaps among the most important issues today, determining the present and future of human society. A country like China, actively committed to environmental protection under the multilateral framework, has set an example for major countries to participate in multilateral cooperation and assume their due responsibilities," said De Almeida.
Angolan parliament president praises China's legislative model, civic engagement
