A chartered aircraft has touched down in Wuhan, China, to repatriate Canadians stuck in the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak, according to flight tracking data.
An estimated 211 Canadians are expected to board the flight on Thursday, following a one-day delay because of bad weather conditions in Hanoi, where it was pre-positioning to go on to Wuhan.
Before boarding the aircraft, passengers must undergo multiple layers of screening by Chinese and Canadian authorities. Anyone who shows any symptoms of illness will not be permitted to board.
National defence and public health officials will be on board and will take steps to isolate any person who becomes ill during the flight.
A “few dozen” Canadians not able to fit on the charter will be allowed to board an American aircraft in Wuhan that will leave a few hours after the Canadian charter flight, Foreign Affairs Minister François-Philippe Champagne said late Wednesday.
Those passengers will land in Vancouver and transportation will be arranged to take them to a Canadian Forces base in Trenton, Ont.
The returning passengers from both flights will be under quarantine for 14 days at the base.
The government has also secured a second charter plane, which it will send if required.
Advice for Canadians in China
The federal government is advising all Canadians anywhere in China to leave the country by commercial means unless it’s essential for them to be there. Several airlines have suspended or limited the number of flights to China.
Global Affairs heightened its travel advisories for China after the outbreak, warning against all travel to Hubei province and against all non-essential travel to other parts of China. On Wednesday, Champagne said the government is recommending Canadians already there make arrangements to leave.
GAC’s website has been updated and now states that for safety and security reasons, Canadians should “consider leaving China if your presence isn’t essential.”
There are now more than 28,000 reported cases of the novel coronavirus around the world, with the majority of cases in China. About 565 deaths have been reported.
In Canada, there have been five cases, three in Ontario and two in British Columbia, and public health officials say the risk to Canadians remains low.
