Spain has begun evacuating passengers from a hantavirus-stricken cruise ship docked near Tenerife in the Canary Islands.
Health Minister Monica Garcia said the operation is "going on normally" and that all passengers on board the MS Hondius remain symptom-free.
They will be divided into groups according to nationality and transported to the shore in small boats.
Charter planes will be ready on the local airport runway to repatriate them to their countries of origin.
Fourteen Spanish citizens will be the first to disembark, followed by those who will leave on flights organized from the Netherlands, including Dutch, Greek and German passengers, as well as part of the crew.
Other flights are expected to follow, including to the United Kingdom and the United States. The final evacuation flight is expected to depart on Monday for Australia.
The Hondius ship arrived at the port of Granadilla before dawn on Sunday, a month after the first passenger died on board.
also
Tourist ship hit by hantavirus arrives in Tenerife
Medical teams boarded the ship to check everyone for signs of the virus.
Very careful preparations have been made to welcome the ship, which will not be allowed to approach the shore: a security perimeter of one nautical mile was established around it as it approached the island.
Dozens of intensive care specialists are on standby at the Candelaria hospital in Tenerife, in case anyone from Hondius becomes seriously ill during the transfer.
