Flight carrying 240 Americans evacuated from Wuhan diverted to US military airbase CA
https://www.alipac.us/image/png;base...AAAElFTkSuQmCCDaily Mail
Flight carrying 240 Americans evacuated from Wuhan is diverted to US military airbase
Flight carrying 240 Americans evacuated from Wuhan on government chartered plane is diverted from Ontario Airport to nearby military airbase amid coronavirus outbreak as White House tells airlines it may suspend all US-China flights
- The US government chartered the plane to fly out diplomats from the US Consulate and other US citizens
- It left before dawn and was due to make a refueling stop in Alaska before flying to Ontario, California
- But late on Tuesday it was announced the flight would be diverted to March Air Reserve Base in Riverside
- San Bernardino County Supervisor Curt Hagman made the announcement but gave no explanation as to why
- The Department of Health and Human Services and CDC say 20 airports across the US will screen for the virus
- China has cut off access to Wuhan and 16 other cities to prevent people from leaving and spreading the virus
- In addition to the United States, countries including Japan and South Korea have also planned evacuations
- The death toll in China now stands at 132; the number of confirmed cases there is nearing 6,000
By LAUREN FRUEN FOR DAILYMAIL.COM and MARY KEKATOS SENIOR HEALTH REPORTER FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 00:35 EST, 29 January 2020 | UPDATED: 00:57 EST, 29 January 2020
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An airplane evacuating as many as 240 Americans from Wuhan was diverted from Ontario Airport to a nearby military airbase late on Tuesday amid a coronavirus outbreak in the Chinese city.
The U.S. government chartered the plane to fly out diplomats from the U.S. Consulate and other U.S. citizens. It left before dawn local time and was expected to make a refueling stop in Alaska before flying on to Ontario, California.
But late on Tuesday it was announced the flight would be diverted to March Air Reserve Base in Riverside. San Bernardino County Supervisor Curt Hagman said: 'The CDC just let us know the flight will be directed to March Air Force Base.' He offered no explanation as to why.
Wuhan is the epicenter of a new virus that has sickened thousands and killed more than 100 with the official death toll now at 132. An official said Tuesday that the plane left the city before dawn Wednesday, China time.
When the plane arrives in Anchorage, Alaska, passengers are expected to clear customs and go through the Centers for Disease Control screening.
'Then they will put them back on the plane and then send them on to their final destination,' said Jim Szczesniak, manager of the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport. The passengers will be isolated in the airport´s international terminal, which lies mostly dormant in the winter months.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...y-airbase.html
