Most crew members aboard MV Hondius to undergo quarantine in Rotterdam upon arrival

The Dutch government announced on Friday that the hantavirus-hit cruise ship MV Hondius is expected to arrive at the Port of Rotterdam next Monday, with most crew members set to undergo a six-week quarantine in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

Rotterdam has been designated in the Netherlands as the port for the handling of infectious diseases in shipping, according to a letter sent to parliament on Friday and signed by Sophie Hermans, Dutch minister of health, welfare and sport, and Tom Berendsen, the country's foreign minister.

According to Oceanwide Expeditions, the Dutch operator of the vessel, there are currently 27 people on board, including 25 crew members and two medical personnel. The group consists of 17 Filipinos, four Dutch nationals, four Ukrainians, one Russian, and one Polish national.

The ministers said that some crew members would enter home quarantine upon arrival, while those unable to return immediately to their home countries would be housed in designated quarantine facilities.

Regarding the vessel's 17 Filipino crew members, the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) recommended that they remain in the Netherlands for the entire six-week quarantine period.

The letter said that the RIVM's recommendation followed careful consultations with the World Health Organization (WHO) and is in line with WHO guidance.

The vessel will also undergo cleaning by a specialized external company in accordance with RIVM guidelines, which incorporate WHO recommendations and are being implemented in close cooperation with the Rotterdam municipal health service.

Personal protective measures are being taken to ensure that the cleaners do not need to quarantine after the cleaning, the letter said. 　 According to the WHO, the cruise ship departed Ushuaia, Argentina, for Cape Verde on April 1. During the voyage, it experienced an outbreak of the Andes virus, a strain of the Hantavirus family.

Most crew members aboard MV Hondius to undergo quarantine in Rotterdam upon arrival

Most crew members aboard MV Hondius to undergo quarantine in Rotterdam upon arrival

Russian air defense system intercepted and shot down 269 Ukrainian drones over multiple Russian regions in 12 hours, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Sunday.

During the day, from 08:00 to 20:00 Moscow time, air defense systems intercepted and destroyed 269 Ukrainian fixed-wing drones, the ministry said in a statement.

A day earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin noted that over the past 40 days, the Ukrainian Armed Forces had persistently launched attacks on Russian civilian and logistics facilities using missiles and drones, which he described as "another gamble" by Ukraine and its Western backers aimed at inflicting a strategic defeat on Russia.

Putin said that Russian troops were not only continuing offensives along all fronts but also stepping up military pressure, and expressed confidence in accomplishing the goals of the special military operation.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday that Ukraine expects 30 billion euros from the European Union (EU) this year to help fund its fiscal deficit, while the country faces 27 billion U.S. dollars of defense budget deficit.

He also said that holding elections is impossible under the country's current conditions, adding that elections right now would be a tsunami for the country that would tear Ukraine apart.

His strategy is to bring the country to the end of the war and preserve an independent and sovereign state, Zelensky told reporters.

Ukraine would be ready to discuss holding possible elections only if its partners provide specific guarantees that the vote could be held safely, legitimately and democratically, without strikes or shelling, Zelensky said.

Former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov recently said that Ukraine should find a legal and safe way to hold elections even during the conflict.

A presidential election was expected to be held in 2024 but was postponed due to the country's martial law, which has been in effect since the escalation of the Ukraine crisis.

Russia downs 269 Ukrainian drones; Ukraine faces 27 bln US dollars defense budget deficit