Seven British nationals disembarked the MV Hondius cruise ship at the island of St Helena on 24 April, the UK Health Security Agency said.

That figure matches what was reported by the ship’s operator, Oceanwide Expeditions, yesterday, which said 29 people in total got off on the island on that date.

Four of these Britons remain in St Helena, the UKHSA said.

Two of those seven people have returned to the UK independently and are self-isolating at home. Neither of the individuals is currently reporting symptoms.

A seventh individual has been traced outside of the UK, it said.

UK government teams are working “at pace” to get medical support to all affected Overseas Territories, the UKHSA added.

New suspected case of a British national reported

We’ve just received an update from the UK Health Security Agency.

A new suspected case of hantavirus for a British national has been reported, it said.

That’s in addition to two Britons we were already aware of.

The UKHSA says the new case was reported on the island of Tristan da Cunha, in the South Atlantic, where passengers on the cruise ship had disembarked last month.

“None of the British citizens onboard is currently reporting symptoms, but they are being closely monitored,” the health body said.

The two confirmed British cases

A British passenger, understood to be a 69-year-old man, was taken to South Africa on 27 April.

There, he is receiving care at a private health facility in Sandton, Johannesburg. 

Another Briton, Martin Anstee, 56, was taken off the ship on Wednesday and flown to the Netherlands, where he’s receiving specialist medical care.

Two self-isolating

Another two Britons returned to the UK independently and are isolating at home.

Neither is reporting symptoms.