Gov't flights set for Wuhan

March 3, 2020

(To watch the full meet-the-media session with sign language interpretation, click here.)

 

Four government chartered flights will depart for Wuhan in batches in the next two days to bring home more than 500 Hong Kong residents stranded in Hubei Province.

 

Ahead of the Executive Council meeting today, Chief Executive Carrie Lam said upon arrival at Hong Kong International Airport, these citizens will be taken directly to quarantine centres to undergo a 14-day quarantine.

 

Mrs Lam reiterated that the Government had arranged for the chartered flights as soon as was feasible, given the tremendous logistics and public health challenges involved in the operation.

 

“We do not feel that we have delayed the return of Hong Kong people stranded in Hubei. As you are aware, even up to this point, Hubei Province - particularly the city of Wuhan - is still under a very challenging situation in terms of the infections and the outbreak, in terms of the cases confirmed.

 

"As far as I understand, even up to this moment, there are still very clear restrictions on exit arrangements and as well as transport arrangements leaving Hubei Province.

 

“As soon as the conditions were ready for us to help Hong Kong residents to come back to Hong Kong, we immediately made the arrangements to do so with the support of the Hubei provincial government.

 

“I hope we will all realise that the whole of Hubei Province is still struggling and doing all their best in containing this coronavirus. But at the same time, they have set aside manpower and other resources to help us to undertake this very major operation to bring our Hong Kong people back.”

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