Chinese hospitals discharge 243 recovered patients of coronavirus

First batch of charter flights brings back 199 stranded virus-hit Hubei residents

BEIJING: A total of 243 patients infected with the novel coronavirus had been discharged from hospitals after recovery by the end of Friday, Chinese health authorities announced Saturday.

Friday saw 72 people walk out of the hospital after recovery, the National Health Commission (NHC) said in its daily report.

Patients can be discharged when the symptoms are alleviated, the body temperature remains at a normal range for at least three days, and the nucleic acid test shows a negative result twice, according to the NHC.

As of Friday midnight, a total of 259 people had died and 11,791 confirmed cases of novel coronavirus infection had been reported in 31 provincial-level regions and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps in China.

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199 stranded Hubei residents brought back

Meanwhile, the first batch of charter flights sent by the Chinese government has brought back 199 stranded Hubei residents from overseas following the novel coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei province.

The two charter flights operated by Xiamen Airlines departed from Thailand's Bangkok and Malaysia's Kota Kinabalu and arrived at the Wuhan Tianhe International Airport at 8:53 p.m. and 10:32 p.m. respectively.

Passengers on board were tested if they had a fever. Those with the symptoms of fever will be quarantined immediately.

Gao Huilin, one of the passengers, was travelling in Malaysia and had been stranded there as the flight back to Wuhan was canceled on January 27 amid the novel coronavirus outbreak.

Gao said the flight bringing them home made careful preparations including checking the passengers' temperature before boarding the plane, and safety precaution to reduce the risk of infection.

"I'm grateful to our country, which leaves no one behind," Gao said.