Passengers are being evacuated from a cruise ship following an outbreak of hantavirus, with health officials emphasizing that the situation differs significantly from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb told CBS's "Face the Nation" that "we are nearing the end of the transmission period" for passengers aboard the affected vessel. He stressed that due to differences in how hantavirus spreads compared to COVID-19, it is "not going to spread like a pandemic virus like COVID did."

Among those evacuated, at least one repatriated French passenger has developed symptoms, according to France's Prime Minister. The evacuation process involved passengers wearing personal protective equipment as they disembarked from the ship.

Health officials have sought to distinguish the current outbreak from the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, despite visual similarities of masked passengers leaving the vessel. The transmission characteristics of hantavirus appear to limit its potential for widespread community spread, according to public health experts.

The evacuation and repatriation of passengers from multiple countries is ongoing as health authorities work to contain the outbreak and monitor those who may have been exposed to the virus.