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Further to the previous public announcement regarding the Central Support Service Away Day, please note that this has been postponed due to pressing issues currently being dealt with.
Central Support Service will operate as normal tomorrow, 8 May 2026.
The St Helena Government (SHG) continues to work closely with international health partners to manage the response to the Andes hantavirus situation involving the expedition vessel MV Hondius.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has officially taken the lead in coordinating the global response, including the tracking and tracing of any further cases across international borders.
There are St Helenians overseas, who were passengers on the outbound flight from St Helena on 25 April, who have been contacted by international partners as part of this tracing process. SHG is working with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and the WHO to share and monitor all health data. All of those who have subsequently returned to St Helena have been contacted directly by our team on island.
In St Helena, the Health and Social Care Portfolio (HSC) confirms:
- There are currently no suspected or confirmed cases of hantavirus on the Island.
- The risk to the general public remains low. The Andes hantavirus is not known to spread through passing or casual social contact such as in shops, schools, or workplaces.
- There is no risk to the public from the deceased passenger who passed away on board the MV Hondius on the 11 April 2026. All handling procedures to retrieve the body on 23 April 2026, and store it locally prior to repatriation, met high safety standards to protect both staff and the community.
Ongoing Precautions
As a precautionary measure, the HSC continues to monitor a small number of individuals identified as “higher risk” contacts (those who had close, prolonged contact with the unwell passengers of the vessel). These individuals remain in good health and are receiving daily check-ins from medical professionals.
Written guidance has been issued to higher risk contacts currently being advised to isolate at home. This includes the required period of isolation which, in consultation with experts at the UK Health Security Agency, has been set as 45 days from the last known exposure to the virus. This means that the period of isolation will end on 9 June subject to any developments in the situation in St Helena.
The Hantavirus Screening Telephone Line (25949) remains active. Anyone who boarded the vessel or had close contact with its passengers and subsequently develops symptoms of hantavirus such as fever, muscle aches, breathing difficulties or gastrointestinal problems (nausea, vomiting, stomach pains, diarrhoea) is advised to call this number for guidance. They should not attend the hospital in person.
Whilst the international nature of this incident requires a coordinated global response, the situation on St Helena remains stable and controlled. We ask the public to remain calm and to respect the privacy of those affected by this incident.
Updates will be provided daily from 18:00 to 21:00 until further notice.
#StHelena #PublicHealth #MVHondius
Dear Friends,
I am sure that we are all by now aware of the challenge we face following confirmation today by the South African authorities of the presence of the Andes variant of the Hantavirus aboard the vessel MV Hondius. We are now responding to a crisis none of us would have wished.
The resilience of our communities has been tested before and I am proud once again of the calm, measured and proportionate response we are seeing across the Territory in difficult times. Those responding directly warrant especial thanks.
I know that information is key in these moments both to share what is known and to reassure. The three governments in the Territory have already issued detailed and coordinated Public Health information. They will continue to do so. I would reiterate that from the outset all have acted with an abundance of caution.
I am acutely aware that the vessel and its passengers is currently the subject of global news interest. Among our communities, there is intense social media activity. This is understandable. Yet we must also be cautious of potential fallibility, as the recent global misreporting of the death of Jonathan the tortoise so clearly revealed.
The Public Health information we have issued is the best available, drawing not only on the experience of our talented local experts, but also that of the UK Health Security Agency.
I am confident that we will confront this challenge together. To help achieve that, the governments will keep the public informed with a regular rhythm of information. Every effort will be made to ensure it is your trusted source.
I am grateful for your fortitude and continued support.
HE Governor Nigel Phillips
#StHelena #MessagefromtheGovernor #Hantavirus
Please be advised that the Central Support Service, will be closed on Friday, 8 May to allow staff to attend their Away Day.
These office closures will include the Legislative Council staff office, the Archives, Communications Hub, IT Offices and Transport Section.
The Castle Switchboard will continue to be staffed until 16:00.
Normal business will resume on Monday, 11 May 2026, at 8:30.
We would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused.
Recent wet weather has delayed the road slurry programme, and some works have not been completed as scheduled.
Daily road closures on W-road were due to end on Friday, 8 May 2026, but will now continue due to these delays. Road slurry works, including on W-road, will continue from Monday, 11 May onwards.
To help the programme progress more efficiently and make best use of suitable weather conditions, additional road sections will also form part of the works. Daily road closures between 09:00 – 15:00 may take place over the next 10 weeks on the following routes:
- Swampy Gut Bridge to White Gate
- White Gate to Scotland Circle
- White Gate to Bates Branch
- Red Hill to White Gate, including the Knollcombes area
Clear signage and advance notice will be provided where possible to help road users plan their journeys and minimise disruption.
Including these additional roads allows works to move between locations when conditions are unsuitable on a particular section. No more than two roads will be closed at any one time, and close coordination will continue with public transport operators, emergency services and churches to minimise disruption.
The public are thanked for their patience and cooperation while this essential road maintenance work continues.
As we continue to respond to the hantavirus incident, tests performed by the National Institute for Communicable Diseases in South Africa have indicated that the Andes virus is the underlying cause.
This is the only known variant capable of human-to-human spread. The risk to the wider population remains low and transmission requires prolonged close personal contact.
This does not affect our planning or response, which has been based on this assumption from the outset.
As we have indicated previously, we are acting from an abundance of caution and will continue to do so.
Please continue to follow the public health advice. A more detailed update will be issued later today and then daily thereafter.
Thank you for your continued co-operation.
#StHelena #Hantavirus #MVHondius
His Majesty’s Customs and Immigration Services would like to advise the public on the following office closure:
Thursday 07 May between 08:30 – 16:00, for container movement (closed to the public and merchants but the enquiry desk will be open).
During the closures, the office reception will be available for Customs and Immigration enquiries on telephone 22287 or on email cienquiries@sainthelena.gov.sh.
Business will resume on Friday 08 May at 09:00.
The public are thanked in advance for their understanding and cooperation and apologise for any inconvenience caused.
The public is advised that the Health and Social Care (HSC) Portfolio continues to respond to the hantavirus situation linked to the expedition vessel MV Hondius, which visited St Helena from 22 to 24 April 2026. We are working closely with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and international partners to assess and manage the situation.
Globally, there have been three deaths reported, two of which have been confirmed as infected with hantavirus. There are a further four people with suspected hantavirus infection around the world, all of whom remain in a stable condition. Definitive information on the specific type of hantavirus associated with this incident is awaited from our international partners.
On St Helena, there are currently no people with suspected hantavirus infection. All higher risk contacts identified to date have received daily verbal contact from a doctor, including instruction on the need to self-isolate at home. People living in the same household as higher risk contacts do not need to self-isolate. All lower risk contacts have been issued with an information letter and actions to take should they develop symptoms.
Further written guidance for those in isolation is being developed in partnership with experts at the UKHSA and will be issued tomorrow, 6 May. This includes information on the necessary period for isolation. Additional support for those in isolation is being coordinated by HSC.
The risk to the wider community remains low. Everyday social contact, for example in shops, workplaces, schools or public spaces, is not considered a known risk for spreading hantavirus. In the rare instances of person-to-person spread, the main risk is close and prolonged contact with someone who is unwell.
New Hantavirus Screening Line
If you had close contact with passengers or crew, or boarded the MV Hondius during its visit, please call the new Hantavirus Screening Line on Tele No: 25949 if you develop symptoms or are worried you may have been exposed.
Possible symptoms include:
- fatigue, fever and muscle aches
- headache, dizziness and chills
- nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea or abdominal pain
- later, symptoms such as coughing, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
Please do not attend the hospital in person without first being screened by telephone. This helps protect patients, staff and the wider public by ensuring the right clinical advice and infection prevention measures are in place before any face-to-face assessment.
People who have not had any contact with the passengers or crew and have not boarded the MV Hondius should seek healthcare in the usual way if required.
Following the screening call, a clinician will review the information provided. If a face-to-face assessment is needed, the ambulance service will attend to assess the person safely and arrange further care. This reduces the risk of anyone who may be infectious attending the hospital without the correct precautions in place.
In a medical emergency, including severe breathing difficulty, chest pain, collapse or serious deterioration, call 999 immediately and tell the call handler that you may have had contact linked to the MV Hondius.
The public are thanked for their continued support and cooperation. Further updates will be provided as more information becomes available.
#StHelena #Hantavirus #MVHondius
Following notification from Connect Saint Helena Limited, the St Helena Resilience Forum (SHRF), are pleased to advise that power has been restored to all affected areas on Feeder 5 which included Nosegay Lane, the Post Office, Museum Car Park, the Terrace, the Wharf, and Lower Shy Road.
Nosegay Lane and the Post Office will be reconnected shortly using a mobile generator, with repair work on this faulty section recommencing tomorrow, 6 May.
In addition, power issues experienced today on Feeder 1, affecting Jamestown from Market Street to China Lane and Ladder Hill, have now been resolved.
We would like to thank affected residents and businesses in the affected areas and the public for their patience and understanding during this time.
#StHelena #Power outage #SHRF
The St Helena Resilience Forum (SHRF), together with key stakeholders including Connect Saint Helena Ltd and local businesses, met this morning, 05 May 2026, to review the situation relating to the power outage affecting residents and businesses in Lower Jamestown, and to confirm contingency arrangements and next steps.
The public are assured that, following the unscheduled power outage yesterday evening, 04 May 2026, support has been provided to those affected residents and businesses who required assistance.
Further updates will be published on the SHG website at https://www.sainthelena.gov.sh/st-helena/news/ and via SHG social media channels.
#StHelena #Power outage #SHRF