Taiwan evacuates 247 nationals from Wuhan

2020/02/05

A charter flight carrying 247 Taiwan nationals stranded in the Chinese city of Wuhan touched down Feb. 3 at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport.
 
 Three passengers suspected of exhibiting symptoms of the new coronavirus, which was first reported in Wuhan late last year, were immediately hospitalized. In addition, a child experiencing abdominal pains and an accompanying parent were sent for medical treatment.
 
 The remaining passengers underwent health screening, with all luggage disinfected before being dispatched to three quarantine facilities. During the 14-day mandatory stay, they will remain in single rooms and receive checkups twice daily.
 
 According to the Central Epidemic Command Center under the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s Centers for Disease Control, the facilities are under the disease management controls. All necessary medical supplies are on-site and residents of neighboring areas are forbidden from approaching the facilities, the CECC said.
 
 In a statement released Feb. 4, the Cabinet-level Mainland Affairs Council said the repatriation is a successful example of cooperation between Taiwan and China benefiting the people. This model paves the way for the two sides to work together going forward, the MAC added.
 
 The government is maintaining maximum public health vigilance in Taiwan following the global outbreak of the virus. The start of the spring semester for schools and universities has been delayed by a fortnight to Feb. 25, according to the Ministry of Education.
 
 Ten cases of the virus were confirmed in Taiwan as of Feb. 3. A total of 20,438 cases have been identified in China, with 171 reported in 25 other countries and territories.

Source: Taiwan Today (https://taiwantoday.tw/index.php)