Florida Opposes CDC's Home Monitoring Plan for MV Hondius Hantavirus Quarantine

Florida health officials have opposed the CDC's home monitoring guidance for MV Hondius passengers. Angela Perryman, an American passenger under federal quarantine in Nebraska, said she is caught in the dispute between state and federal authorities.

Scraper SystemJune 11, 2026, 11:15 PM

Florida Opposes CDC's Home Monitoring Plan for MV Hondius Hantavirus Quarantine

Florida health officials have opposed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's home monitoring guidance for MV Hondius passengers exposed to the Andes hantavirus. The dispute centers on whether some passengers under federal quarantine should be discharged and how the quarantine should be maintained.

Angela Perryman, one of the American passengers on the cruise, said she has been held at the National Quarantine Unit of Nebraska Medical Center since May 11. Perryman described being caught in the disagreement between state and federal governments and unable to leave quarantine.

Perryman stated that she was previously told she could leave federal quarantine by the end of May and spend the remaining 42-day period under home monitoring. It was reported that the first five passengers were sent home on June 1.

Brian Wright, a spokesperson for the Florida Department of Health, said the state does not currently plan to implement 24-hour monitoring. Wright argued that unnecessarily intrusive restrictions are not needed when public health and personal freedoms can be protected together through established public health practices.

No official response has been shared by the institution. However, it was noted that under interim leadership, Dr. David Fitter has been assigned to manage the state's response process. Fitter reportedly worked under the temporary leadership of Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, who criticized CDC restrictions during the COVID-19 period.

Following the emergence of the rare outbreak in May, Perryman was taken to the Nebraska center as one of 18 Americans on the Hondius. The same center is known to have treated the first COVID patients brought from the Diamond Princess ship in early 2020 and some Ebola patients in 2014.

According to a spokesperson from Nebraska Medical Center, as of Thursday, 10 passengers have left the federal facility and are being monitored in their own states until the full 42-day quarantine period for the virus is completed. These transfers are coordinated by the Rapid Preparedness and Response Administration along with local and state health units, with no commercial transportation used and necessary bioprotection measures taken.

Eight passengers, including Perryman, continue to stay in Nebraska. Another passenger who remained in Nebraska and spoke publicly was Jake Rosmarin; it was reported that Rosmarin shared his quarantine experience on Instagram.

Hantavirus generally transmits from rodents to humans, but the Andes strain can spread from person to person. The World Health Organization confirmed 13 cases of Andes virus linked to the cruise and announced that three people have died.

None of the American passengers have developed symptoms. Authorities are therefore focused on keeping the potential transmission chain closed, noting that the virus's incubation period can last up to six weeks. Perryman said her only wish is to return home, go out into her garden, and live without contact with anyone.

Florida Opposes CDC's Home Monitoring Plan for MV Hondius Hantavirus Quarantine