The government’s plan to fly back 533 residents stranded in Hubei province this week has been welcomed by those trapped at the epicenter of the novel coronavirus outbreak — who called the evacuation “timely” and “efficient”.

The SAR government announced on Tuesday its plan to charter four flights, two today and two on Thursday, to evacuate local residents, including 14 pregnant women, 11 students about to take the college entrance HKDSE exam in late March, and 22 people with urgent medical needs.

The government will arrange designated vehicles to send the stranded people to the airport in Wuhan

Patrick Nip Tak-kuen, secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs

The flights will return within the same day of leaving and the passengers will be quarantined at Chun Yeung Estate for 14 days upon arrival.

At a media briefing, Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Patrick Nip Tak-kuen said the flights will collect 440 Hong Kong people from Hubei’s provincial capital, Wuhan, and another 93 from 10 other Hubei cities.

So far, there are more than 3,000 Hong Kong people in Hubei, including about 532 in Wuhan.

Nip said the government will arrange designated vehicles to send the stranded people to the airport in Wuhan.

All of them are required to wear masks and protective gear provided by the government during the flight. They will also be seated a pre-determined distance apart and no one will be allowed to randomly change seats.

They will have body temperature checked five times during the trip, and will be tested again for the coronavirus after moving into the quarantine center.

Also at the briefing, Secretary for Food and Health Sophia Chan Siu-chee said 17 medical staff will be sent to Hubei to facilitate the operation, and at least two doctors and two nurses will be on each chartered flight.

Tony Lee, a 19-year-old student preparing for this year’s DSE exams in Wuhan, felt relieved when hearing about the airlift. He said he’ll prepare for the tests in an isolation ward after taking the second flight home today.

Lee said the government’s operation was timely and efficient, as only about a week has passed since its announcing the proposed evacuation.  

Pang Kong-cheung, a senior Hong Kong resident who has languished in Wuhan with his wife for more than 40 days, said he is glad about the new arrangement, which he believes must have been made after overcoming considerable difficulties. He will be back in Hong Kong on Thursday.

Pang said he is content to be isolated at a quarantine center upon arrival, saying it is for the sake of his own health and public safety in Hong Kong. 

On Monday, the Macao government announced it will send chartered flights on Saturday to fly home Macao people stranded in Hubei. So far, 47 of the 172 Macao residents who had sought help from the Macao government said they would like to take the flights.

Contact the writers at willa@chinadailyhk.com