Taiwanese who have been stranded in the Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicenter of a coronavirus outbreak, would soon be repatriated on a charter flight, the Mainland Affairs Council said yesterday, adding that it is facilitating the arrangement.
More than a dozen countries, including the US, the UK, France, Japan, Australia, India, Indonesia and South Korea, have evacuated or are planning to evacuate their citizens from China.
Taiwan had tried to arrange a charter flight to repatriate Taiwanese who have expressed a desire to return home, but Chinese authorities refused the request until yesterday.
Photo: Chung Li-hua, Taipei Times
The Taiwanese have been stranded in Wuhan since Jan. 23, when China locked down the city to prevent the spread of the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) infection.
The state-run China News Service yesterday reported that the office in charge of Taiwan affairs in Hubei Province, of which Wuhan is the capital, said it would soon arrange the first stage of evacuations, allowing about 200 Taiwanese to return home.
The Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) confirmed the development, adding that it would keep a close eye on further updates and help coordinate the efforts.
A total of 503 Taiwanese are in Wuhan, 86 percent of whom are there for travel, business or to transfer flights, said Hsu Cheng-wen (徐正文), who represents a support group for Taiwanese who want to return home.
“Their biggest wish is to return to Taiwan,” Hsu said, adding that they are willing to be placed under quarantine after returning home, despite being in good health.
One of the two Taiwanese who was infected in Wuhan has been hospitalized, while the other’s situation is being investigated, Hsu added.
The Ministry of Transportation and Communications confirmed that China Airlines Ltd (中華航空) would dispatch a charter flight.
The airline is awaiting instructions, the ministry said, adding that the flight can be dispatched once the council and the SEF settle the evacuation’s details with Chinese authorities.
Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), head of the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC), said the center has made preparations to handle the evacuation, including quarantine measures and settlement in Taiwan.
Settlement measures would include health monitoring, accommodation and food during 14 days of quarantine, he said.
The center would send medical professionals on the evacuation flight, and the passengers would be provided with protective clothing and N95 respirator masks to prevent possible cross-infection, he added.
“Taiwanese who are confirmed to have 2019-nCoV will not be allowed to board the charter flight,” Chen said, adding that suspected cases would be separated from other passengers.
The timing of the evacuation is being negotiated between the Taiwanese and Chinese governments, he added.
Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Deputy Director-General Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥) said that if the evacuees show any symptoms before boarding the airplane, they would be immediately hospitalized upon their arrival in Taiwan.
The CDC has also arranged facilities in northern, central and southern Taiwan to quarantine the evacuees, but would not announce their location at this point to avoid panic or stigmatization, Chuang said.
Asked about Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je’s (柯文哲) remark yesterday that one of the facilities is a dormitory in Taipei’s Yangmingshan (陽明山) area, Chen said that anyone who discloses the information without the CECC’s consent would be dealt with in accordance with regulations.
Additional reporting by Shelley Shan and CNA
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