US scrambles to evacuate American citizens from coronavirus-infected Wuhan as China death toll climbs to 81 and officials warn the strain is spreading faster than predicted
A single charter flight from Wuhan to San Francisco is scheduled for Tuesday
Officials warned there is little space on the flight for private US citizens in addition to staff from the US consulate in Wuhan
The plane is a Boeing 737 jet, which can carry 230 people
The consulate began reaching out to all Americans registered as living in Wuhan – roughly 1,000 – last week to offer them a seat
The State Department said ‘priority will be given to individuals at greater risk from coronavirus’
Upon arrival in the US passengers are expected to be quarantined and screened
Coronavirus has sickened more than 2,900 people in at least 10 countries
Seven cases are confirmed in North America – two in Canada and five in the US
The death toll in China climbed to 81 on Monday
The Chinese government is sending reinforcements into Wuhan, where the outbreak originated late last month
By MEGAN SHEETS
DAILYMAIL.COM
27 January 2020
The US government is rushing to evacuate Americans from the coronavirus-stricken Chinese city of Wuhan as officials warn that the deadly strain’s spread is picking up speed.
A charter flight is scheduled to fly from the Wuhan Tianhe International Airport to San Francisco International Airport on Tuesday.
The US consulate in Wuhan began reaching out to all Americans registered as living in the city – of which there are said to be roughly 1,000 – last week to offer them a seat on the plane.
The State Department warned that the single flight will have ‘limited capacity’ to transport private US citizens along with consulate staff, and said ‘priority will be given to individuals at greater risk from coronavirus’.
Upon arrival in San Francisco, passengers are expected to be quarantined and screened for the virus which has sickened more than 2,800 people in at least 14 countries – with five confirmed cases in the US.
The death toll in China climbed to 81 on Monday as the Chinese government sent reinforcements into Wuhan, where the outbreak originated late last month.
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