RFK Jr. has stated that he is not worried about the recent Hantavirus outbreak on a Dutch cruise ship. In a recent press conference, the Health and Human Services Secretary reassured reporters that the U.S. has the hantavirus “under control.”
RFK Jr. makes comments on Hantavirus outbreak
During a press conference at the Oval Office on May 11, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. addressed concerns about the recent Hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship. The Dutch cruise ship MV Hondius, where the Hantavirus spread rapidly, carried American passengers as well.
16 passengers from the ship who live in the U.S. are reportedly isolating at the National Quarantine Unit in Nebraska. Meanwhile, two other passengers, one of whom is exhibiting symptoms of the disease, are currently in Atlanta. They will receive medical screenings over the next few days.
During the Monday press event, a reporter asked if the U.S. Health authorities are equipped to handle a potential Hantavirus outbreak in the nation despite the recent funding and staffing cuts. In response, Kennedy stated, “We’ve had CDC teams on it from day one.”
The HHS Secretary continued, “I was speaking with the University of Nebraska since the second day of the outbreak. I was speaking with Gov. Pillen of Nebraska. We had a CDC team at Tenerife. We had airplanes ready to take the patients, the 17 patients off the vessel, and transport.”
Kennedy added, “Two of them went to Atlanta. One of those was symptomatic. They’re in a biocontainment lab in Atlanta. The other 16 are now in Nebraska. One of them is symptomatic.” In conclusion, he reassured, “We have this under control, and we’re not worried about it.”
President Donald Trump weighed in on the Hantavirus outbreak as well. “Now, the one thing with this one is that it’s much harder to catch. It’s been around a long time, people are very familiar with it,” the POTUS said on Monday. He added, “It seems like it is not easy to spread; in fact, in certain ways, it’s very hard to spread. We’ve lived with it for years — many years — and we think we’re in very good shape.”
Originally reported by Namrata Ghosh on Mandatory.
