Jakarta (ANTARA) - The aircraft that will evacuate Indonesians from the coronavirus-affected Hubei Province in China will depart in less than 24 hours, Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi stated.
"The aircraft we will use is a large-bodied one, so all Indonesians ready to be evacuated can be flown directly without a stopover," she noted in a press conference on Friday evening.
The advance team from the Indonesian Embassy in Beijing has arrived in Hubei Province to coordinate with local authorities, she remarked.
"This morning, I met the Chinese ambassador in Jakarta. He explained about the landing and movement of aircraft to evacuate Indonesians from Hubei," she stated.
She further explained that preparations for the departure of aircraft at several points in Hubei are underway and so are the preparations to receive Indonesians returning from Hubei in accordance with the existing procedure and protocol.
The Foreign Ministry had stated earlier that the Indonesians evacuated from Hubei will be quarantined for 28 days to check if they are healthy and prevent the spread of novel coronavirus.
President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has instructed Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI) Chief Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto to deploy aircraft to evacuate Indonesians, mostly university students, in Wuhan.
The evacuation process might involve three military aircraft during one flight or a civilian one with more than one flight, Fadjroel Rachman, the president’s spokesman, noted here on Friday.
The Health Ministry will prepare several hospitals to accommodate Indonesian citizens returning from Hubei and to be quarantined to prevent the coronavirus from spreading in the country.
Some 243 Indonesian citizens are currently staying in Wuhan, Xianing, Haungxi, Xiangian, and Xian in Hubei Province. There are 93 Indonesians in Wuhan, the origin of the coronavirus outbreak, and none of them have reportedly contracted infection from the new virus.
Death toll from the coronavirus outbreak increased to 213 on Friday morning, with a total of 9,066 people being positively infected and 12,167 others suspected of being infected.
Related news: Jokowi directs military to bring home Indonesians in Wuhan
Related news: Indonesian government discusses options related to evacuation
EDITED BY INE
