A trapped cruise ship passenger is sharing an updated statement amid a hantavirus outbreak.
Jake Rosmarin, a travel blogger from Boston, is aboard the Dutch vessel M/V Hondius, which was on a weeks-long polar cruise from Argentina to Antarctica and several isolated islands in the South Atlantic when the deadly outbreak began.
In a tearful video shared to Instagram on Monday, Rosmarin said, “All we want right now is to feel safe, to have clarity and to get home.”
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On Tuesday, Rosmarin shared an updated statement with Fox News Digital.
“Other than the two ill passengers that have already been referenced in the media, everyone else onboard is doing well and remains in good spirits,” Rosmarin said. “We are hopeful that this situation will be resolved soon.”
Rosmarin praised the crew of Oceanwide Expeditions’ “best efforts” to keep passengers “safe, informed and as comfortable as possible during this time.”
The passenger also pointed out that the M/V Hondius is not a traditional cruise ship, but an expedition vessel.
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“These ships operate with strict protocols and a strong emphasis on cleanliness, especially given the remote and environmentally sensitive regions they visit, which require high levels of biosecurity,” he said. “The vessel is maintained to a very high standard, and suggestions that it is unclean are not accurate.”
Rosmarin also detailed the safety measures in place on the ship, including social distancing and masking.
“Passengers also have the option to have meals delivered directly to their cabins,” he said. “Access to the outer decks is permitted for fresh air, while gathering in indoor common areas such as the lounge is currently restricted.”
“We continue to be well cared for, and additional medical provisions and supplies have been brought onboard.”
Rosmarin said he remains hopeful that the situation will be resolved soon.
The ship originally departed from Argentina on April 1. The first illness and death occurred on April 11, and the ship reached Saint Helena on April 22 with the first victim onboard.
Hantaviruses include a group of viruses primarily carried by rodents that can cause severe respiratory or renal diseases in humans.
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There have now been a total of seven cases reported (two confirmed and five suspected), and three deaths among passengers, the World Health Organization confirmed. Two crew members are currently ill and one passenger was evacuated to intensive care in South Africa, according to reports.
WHO said the agency is still investigating the outbreak as the ship remains off the coast of Cape Verde, noting that human-to-human transmission is uncommon and that there is not a high risk to the wider public.
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“We do believe that there may be some human-to-human transmission that’s happening among the really close contacts, the husband and wife, people who have shared cabins,” Maria Van Kerkhove, the director of epidemic and pandemic preparedness and prevention at the WHO, told reporters in Geneva.
Fox News Digital reached out to the cruise ship company requesting comment.
