Australia has asked for permission for a second evacuation flight out of Wuhan in Hubei province. PHOTO: REUTERS
WATCH: Australian evacuees from China test negative for virus, but face 14-day quarantine
Australia has asked for permission for a second evacuation flight out of Wuhan in Hubei province
SYDNEY/WELLINGTON: A total of 239 Australians evacuated from the Chinese city of Wuhan have been cleared of the coronavirus, with two remaining facing only a “minimal” chance that they have the virus, Australian Health Minister Greg Hunt said on Tuesday.
The 241 evacuees, who arrived on the Australian-run Christmas Island off Australia’s northwest coast on Tuesday, will remain quarantined for 14 days, the maximum incubation period for the virus.
“All travelers, I’m advised, have been examined, and there are no cases of confirmed coronavirus,” Hunt told reporters in Canberra.
“Fourteen were looked at more closely to ensure they were in an acceptable condition and they have now all been cleared of the virus. A further two are being tested as a precaution.”
Australia has asked for permission for a second evacuation flight out of Wuhan in Hubei province, the epicentre of the coronavirus which has been in lockdown. There were 600 Australians registered in Hubei last week.
An evacuation flight chartered by Air New Zealand Ltd is scheduled to leave Wuhan late on Tuesday, with 70 New Zealanders and 50 Australian citizens and permanent residents on board. The Australians will be transferred from Auckland to Christmas Island.
176 Chinese nationals screened for coronavirus in Bahawalpur
The newly identified coronavirus which first appeared in Wuhan in December has killed 425 people in China, one in Hong Kong and one in the Philippines.
The total number of infections in China rose by 3,235 to 20,438 on Tuesday, and there were at least 151 cases in 23 other countries and regions.
Australia on Saturday followed the United States in barring entry to all foreign nationals traveling from mainland China and raised its travel warning for China to the highest level, advising people against visiting the country at all.
The move has left many Chinese students at Australian universities unable to enter the country just as the university year is about to start. Many Australian universities are financially heavily reliant on Chinese students.
241 Australians, included children, evacuated out of Wuhan have arrived at a controversial immigration detention center on Christmas Island, where they will live in quarantine for two weeks https://t.co/k4OceHudzC pic.twitter.com/zXZKbt1MEq
— Reuters (@Reuters) February 4, 2020
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ