Interim Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Professor Mary Horgan said the Irish passengers must isolate for a total of 42 days.
It remains unclear if the Irish passengers will remain in the HSE-run facility for their entire isolation period.
According to The Irish Mirror, the Irish passengers are not experiencing symptoms of hantavirus and are in "good spirits" but said they will be offered "psychological " support for having to isolate for so long.
In an interview with RTE's Morning Ireland, Horgan explained that all hospitals have been brief on all eventualities. She said: “Absolutely, the Mater Hospital has the national isolation unit. It has a team of experts in infectious diseases, intensive care, nurses who are all trained up to deal with any potential issues that the two passengers may have.”
The jet sent by the Government to evacuate the two Irish passengers from Tenerife landed in Ireland on Sunday. The Irish aircraft flew to and from the island from Baldonnel Aerodrome on Sunday.
When asked if the number of people to test positive for hantavirus, Horgan said: “We don't see this transmitting in the community at all. But on the precautionary principle, we have adhered to all of the infection prevention and control precautions that are required to keep the the two passengers and the broader public safe”.
“People do get sick on planes and certainly from our standpoint the presence of senior HSE medics was an absolutely crucial part of that transit," she continued.
The CMO stated that the Irish passengers could have isolated in Tenerife, but their priority was making sure they returned to Ireland safely.
Hantaviruses are a group of viruses carried by rodents that can cause severe disease in humans. People can be infected if they make contact with infected rodents or their urine, droppings or saliva. Hantavirus can cause severe illnesses and even death. Hantavirus is usually spread by rodents but in rare cases can be transmitted person-to-person. 3 passengers of the crusie ship have passed away due to hantavirus.
