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France set to evacuate citizens from virus-hit Chinese city
PARIS, Jan 28, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – France on Thursday will send a plane to
start evacuating its citizens from Wuhan, the Chinese city at the centre of a
coronavirus scare, in the first repatriations by a European country.
Some 500 to 1,000 French citizens are eligible for repatriation, Health
Minister Agnes Buzyn told a press conference, though not all are keen to be
pulled out from the zone as authorities said the virus has infected thousands
and killed 106 so far.
The first plane will likely return to France late Friday or early
Saturday, Buzyn said. Those on it will be brought to a holding facility in
Paris, where they will stay for 14 days — the estimated virus incubation
period — to ensure they do not carry the virus and cannot pass it on to
others.
Those displaying symptoms, which are similar to the flu and include a
fever, will be hospitalised immediately.
Deputy transport minister Jean-Baptiste Djebbari told CNews television the
flight would bring only passengers “who do not have any symptoms” of illness.
A second plane to bring home “people who may be carrying the virus” is
planned but no date has yet been set, he said.
“Several planes will follow,” added Buzyn, so as not to mix potentially
infected people with healthy ones on the same flight.
The Chinese government has sealed off Wuhan and neighbouring cities,
effectively trapping tens of millions of people, including thousands of
foreigners, in a bid to contain the spread of the virus. – ‘Won’t close the
doors’ –
France was the first European country to report imported cases of the new
coronavirus, in three people who had recently been in China, while a half-
dozen suspected infections are being analysed.
On Tuesday, officials said a German man, who has not been to China, was
infected with the virus by a colleague visiting Bavaria from China, in what
is believed to be the first human transmission on European soil.
Buzyn said several European countries had asked France to bring their
nationals home on its planes.
“The ministry of foreign affairs is in charge of working with these
different countries to determine how we share the repatriation of all
European nationals,” she said.
“Obviously, we won’t close the doors of our planes to foreign nationals if
they request it and if we have the possibility” to help them, Buzyn added.
Among the French in Wuhan, some may not be keen on leaving, however.
“Some have family members who are not necessarily French nationals, so it
is necessary to know if they want to return, and if the Chinese government
accepts it,” Buzyn said.
“All of this is being discussed with the Chinese authorities.”
Others are put off by the mandatory 14-day quarantine period.
BSS/AFP/ARS/2002 hrs