Eight Americans who were held in a six-week federal quarantine in Nebraska after potential exposure to a deadly hantavirus outbreak have been released. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) confirmed the end of the required isolation period on Monday.<\/p>\n
The group was among dozens evacuated from the MV Hondius cruise ship in the Canary Islands in early May. The outbreak on the Dutch-flagged vessel resulted in three deaths and 13 identified cases of the rare Andes strain of hantavirus. Initially, 18 Americans were transferred to the national quarantine unit in Omaha.<\/p>\n
An HHS spokesperson, Emily Hilliard, stated that the enforced 42-day quarantine for the final eight passengers was deemed necessary for the public good. “Through close collaboration among federal, state, and local partners, HHS helped protect the American people, contain potential risks, and bring this response effort to a successful conclusion,” Hilliard said.<\/p>\n
However, one passenger, Angela Perryman, described her detention as being against her wishes, calling the quarantine “authoritarian” and “unconstitutional.” She recounted being told on Sunday lunchtime that the quarantine had ended and they were free to leave the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Perryman stated she insisted on a government-paid flight home that night, while most others opted to depart the following day.<\/p>\n
Health law experts have raised concerns about the enforced detention, with some labeling it a dangerous precedent. The decision followed HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s move to overrule Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advice, which had suggested exposed individuals self-quarantine at home. Lawrence Gostin, a health law professor at Georgetown University Law Center, criticized the action as “arbitrary, it\u2019s capricious and it\u2019s unjust” to detain someone without a significant public risk.<\/p>\n
Sixteen Americans were initially evacuated to the Omaha quarantine unit on May 11, with two more joining later. During their stay, passengers reported receiving special meals and having access to amenities like televisions, internet, and exercise equipment in their rooms. Passengers were not reported to have contracted the disease, which is typically spread through contact with rodent droppings and, in the case of the Andes virus, can be transmitted between humans.<\/p>\n
Jake Rosmarin, a travel blogger who was part of the quarantined group, posted social media videos documenting his release and departure. In one video, he announced, “I\u2019m finally coming home,” showing himself leaving his room. He later posted a video of the Omaha skyline from his plane, heading home to his family.<\/p>\n
Most of the individuals evacuated from the cruise ship were not American citizens. At least 30 other passengers disembarked before the outbreak was documented, including seven Americans who were permitted to monitor for symptoms at home.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Eight Americans have been released from a six-week federal quarantine in Nebraska following exposure to a deadly hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship. The quarantine, criticized by some as “authoritarian,” ended Monday.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":2215,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[4],"tags":[1900,1902,1899,1729,1903],"yoast_head":"\n