Macao residents returning from Hubei province disembark a government-chartered flight in Macao, March 7, 2020. A total of 57 Macao residents stranded in Hubei province were flown home on Saturday on a government-chartered flight. (PHOTO/MACAO'S GOVERNMENT INFORMATION BUREAU)
HONG KONG - A total of 57 Macao residents stranded in Hubei province returned to the special administrative region on a government-chartered flight on Saturday, becoming the first batch of Macao returnees from the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak.
All returnees were put under a 14-day mandatory quarantine as they arrived in Macao. They will receive tests for the novel coronavirus pneumonia later
All evacuees were put under a 14-day mandatory quarantine as they arrived in Macao. They will receive tests for the novel coronavirus pneumonia later.
READ MORE: First batch of 244 stranded residents return from Hubei
Before boarding the flight at Wuhan Tianhe International Airport, all passengers were subject to health screenings and temperature checks.
One resident with higher-than-normal body temperature has been barred from boarding.
According to the Macao SAR government, around 150 residents are stranded in Hubei province as the area has been locked down since late January.
The government has not yet fixed a date for a second chartered flight. Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, director of the Macao Government Tourism Office, told the media at a news conference that a decision would be made based on the condition of the first batch of returnees.
ALSO READ: Macao to close casinos for 2 weeks as virus infects 10
Ao Leong-u, Macao's Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, on behalf of Chief Executive Ho lat-seng, expressed gratitude to flight crew members and government officials who had taken part in the evacuation.
