According to statements made by Justine Kozlovska on May 29, 2026, the cruise ship linked to the recent health scare has not docked in Riga. The Latvian Maritime Administration has confirmed that the vessel has not arrived at any Latvian port. The concern stems from an early May incident involving the Dutch cruise ship MV Hondius, which experienced a hantavirus outbreak resulting in three fatalities.
This event subsequently fueled a wave of misinformation across social media platforms, amplified by certain Latvian politicians and various disinformation sources. Despite the fact that the MV Hondius is no longer operational and its passengers have been evacuated, false narratives persist. Misleading videos circulating widely on platforms like Instagram and TikTok suggest that the ship has docked in Riga, leading to public anxiety and speculation about future pandemic risks associated with cruise travel.
Authorities are actively countering these claims. The consistent message from maritime officials is that the specific ship in question has not entered Latvian waters. This effort is necessary to counteract the spread of false information that continues to circulate online, creating unnecessary alarm among the public regarding the potential threat of hantavirus exposure from the vessel.
The confirmation from official sources remains that the ship is not currently docked in Riga.
Topics: #ship #not #hantavirus
