Covering the food & beverage industry, beauty, fashion, retail markets, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and related people and entities worldwide
2nd chartered plane with 333 Koreans arrives in Seoul from Wuhan
Korean residents and students from Wuhan, China, arrive at a state-run quarantine shelter in Asan, South Chungcheong Province, Saturday. They arrived at Gimpo Airport via a second chartered flight dispatched by the government to evacuate them from of the Chinese city hit by a new coronavirus. Yonhap
By Ko Dong-hwan
A second charter plane carrying 333 South Koreans from the coronavirus-hit Chinese city of Wuhan arrived in Seoul, Saturday, completing an evacuation mission to bring home about 700 nationals from the epicenter of the deadly disease.
The Korean Air plane touched down at Gimpo International Airport in western Seoul at around 8:15 a.m., a day after the first evacuation flight brought home 368 citizens from Wuhan.
Though they underwent medical checks at the airport in Wuhan, the evacuees underwent a second round of screenings upon arrival and then were taken to a state-run quarantine shelter in Asan, about 90 kilometers south of Seoul, where they will stay for at least two weeks.
The evacuees included one who missed the first evacuation flight due to signs of fever. The person was later categorized as having no symptoms and given approval to board the second flight.
Seven of the evacuees showed some symptoms and were sent to a government hospital for additional checkups and monitoring.
Among the 368 people aboard the first evacuation flight, 18 were hospitalized after they showed symptoms of coronavirus infection. Of them, 11 tested negative, while the others are awaiting the final results of secondary testing despite initial negative results.
The government initially planned to bring back 722 Koreans from Wuhan and its vicinity. However, some decided to stay behind with family members of Chinese nationality who the local authorities had instructed to remain, while others could have missed the flight due to the citywide lockdown.
On Saturday, the health authorities here Korea reported another confirmed case of the new coronavirus, bringing the total to 12.
Since the virus first emerged in Wuhan, central China, in December, the death toll in China alone has risen to 259, AFP reported, citing data from China's National Health Commission. The number of infections in China stands at 11,791.
The World Health Organization declared the outbreak a global emergency, Thursday, as the United States raised its travel advisory for China to the highest level, banning all travel to the country.
In Asan and Jincheon, where the evacuees are being quarantined, residents initially expressed anger at the government's decision to use facilities there.
They later relented, with some holding up handwritten banners in support of the evacuees. President Moon Jae-in expressed his gratitude on Twitter, Friday.
Common signs of infection include fever, coughing, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. In more severe cases, the infection can cause pneumonia, acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death, according to the WHO. (Yonhap)