(Reuters) - A growing number of countries around the world are evacuating or planning to evacuate diplomatic staff and citizens from parts of China hit by the new coronavirus.
Following are some countries’ evacuation plans, and how they aim to manage the health risk from those who are returning.
- Hundreds of South Koreans flown home on a charter flight from China were greeted with welcome signs on Friday as they arrived at quarantine centers where nearby residents had staged protests only a day before. The 368 South Koreans were transported to two facilities in Asan and Jincheon, cities about 80 km (50 miles) south of the capital Seoul, where they will be isolated. The aircraft carrying the evacuees from Wuhan, the epicenter of the virus outbreak in China, landed in Seoul earlier.
- A third chartered flight repatriating Japanese people arrived from Wuhan on Friday, bringing the number of repatriated nationals to 565. Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said Japan is making arrangements to repatriate all Japanese who want to return from Wuhan and surrounding areas, but that a fourth plane is unlikely to be dispatched this week.
- A plane carrying 83 British and 27 European Union nationals from Wuhan, the capital of Hubei, landed in Britain on Friday. The returning Britons will be quarantined for 14 days at an NHS facility in northwest England.
- Kazakhstan has asked Beijing to allow 98 Kazakh students to leave Wuhan.
- Germany will evacuate 90 citizens from the Wuhan area.
- Morocco will evacuate 100 citizens, mostly students, from around Wuhan.
- Spain’s government is working with China and the European Union to repatriate its nationals.
- The United States evacuated 220 citizens from Wuhan including 50 diplomats and contractors.
- Canada is seeking to evacuate 196 nationals from the Wuhan area, senior officials have said. While the government has secured a charter aircraft, it has not yet said when the plane will fly to Canada or whether returning citizens will be quarantined on arrival.
- Russia said it would begin moving its citizens out of China via its Far Eastern region on Feb. 1, regional authorities said. It plans to evacuate more than 600 Russian citizens currently in Hubei province and they will be quarantined for 14 days, Deputy Prime Minister Tatiana Golikova said.
It has been in talks with China about evacuating its nationals from Wuhan and Hubei province.
- The Netherlands has advised Dutch nationals to limit trips to essential travel only and is preparing the voluntary evacuation of 20 Dutch nationals and their families from Hubei Province, Foreign Minister Stef Blok said in a letter to parliament. The Netherlands is finalizing arrangements with EU partners and Chinese authorities.
- Australia will help some citizens leave Hubei and quarantine them on Christmas Island. Prime Minister Scott Morrison did not say how many of the 600 Australians registered in the Hubei region could be helped, adding Australia would also be working to help New Zealand and Pacific island citizens.
- New Zealand said on Thursday it would charter a plane to assist its citizens wanting to leave Wuhan. Consular teams will work with health officials to ensure the risks of transmission of the virus to New Zealand are carefully managed.
- Indonesia is preparing to evacuate its citizens from Wuhan and will quarantine them for at least 14 days on arrival. Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said the government is working with Beijing authorities on the evacuation. She said that there were at least 243 Indonesians in areas declared to be in lockdowns, the majority in Wuhan.
- France has evacuated some nationals from Wuhan and said it would place the passengers in quarantine. It said it would first evacuate nationals without symptoms and then those showing symptoms at a later, unspecified date.
- Swiss authorities said they hope to have about 10 compatriots join the French evacuation of nationals from China.
- Thailand said it was sending a plane to Wuhan to bring back its citizens on Saturday.
Compiled by Toby Chopra, Lisa Shumaker and Kenneth Maxwell; editing by Richard Pullin and Timothy Heritage
