Post by mukhtiar shah

Brits evacuated from hantavirus ship cannot be forced to self-isolate when released from hospital Story by Kristina Wemyss and Olivia Allhusen published in MSN page dated 12-05-2026   Britons evacuated from the hantavirus-stricken cruise ship cannot legally be forced to self-isolate once released from the former Covid quarantine hospital where they are staying, it emerged Monday night. The 22 passengers brought back from the MV Hondius are being asked to complete a 42-day isolation period after spending 72 hours at Arrowe Park Hospital on the Wirral. But health officials will rely on voluntary co-operation unless passengers refuse to comply and the public is deemed at risk. Concern was growing among families staying inside the hospital complex, where a taped-up door is all that separates relatives of vulnerable babies from passengers isolating after the outbreak. Kim Childs, 32, whose premature baby is being treated in intensive care at Arrowe Park Hospital, said she was worried after virus-exposed passengers were moved into accommodation next door. Ms Childs, from Chester, said families staying in the accommodation block had been 'left in the lurch' and claimed they had not been given masks or PPE. She told The Telegraph: 'I have got a baby who was born 14 weeks premature and has respiratory issues. 'If I catch this disease, I am going to be infecting all these babies in the ICU.'  She added: 'It takes time to get the virus. We are not going to know if we have caught something until it is too late. I am very worried.'  The mother-of-six said she only learned the passengers were moving in after hearing it from a passerby and could have made other arrangements if she had been informed earlier. Worried locals elsewhere on the Wirral also questioned why those onboard had not remained isolated at sea. Continued on page/2