A luxury cruise ship hit by a deadly hantavirus outbreak which has killed three people and still with close to 150 people on board, was due to head to Spain, raising some caution amongst local residents.

The ship will dock at the Canary island of Tenerife, Spanish state broadcaster TVE reported on Wednesday (May 6), citing sources from the country's health ministry.

The Spanish archipelago's leader Fernando Clavijo said he was opposed to the move and requested an urgent meeting with Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. The decision ultimately belongs to the central government, which supersedes regional authorities.

Tenerife local resident Margarita Maria said people were scared and the archipelago feared what they went through during the COVID pandemic might happen again.

Another resident Carlos Gibbs said disinformation was making people reject the cruise ship docking at the Canary Islands, adding that passengers should receive medical assistance in the archipelago once authorities guaranteed there will be no health risks for residents.

The ship had been marooned for days off the coast of Cape Verde and South Africa had confirmed it identified among the victims a strain of the virus that can - in rare cases - spread among humans.

Production: Borja Suarez, Antoine Demaison, Miguel Gutierrez/Reuters