Indonesian rescue plane to fly to virus-hit Hubei in less than 24 hours

Jakarta confirmed on Friday afternoon that the government would send an aircraft to evacuate Indonesian citizens from China’s coronavirus-hit Hubei province in less than 24 hours.

"The plane and team are set to fly [to Wuhan] in less than 24 hours. We are also using a large plane so that all Indonesians willing to be evacuated can fly without having to transit," Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said on Friday.

Retno said she had met with Chinese Ambassador to Indonesia Xiao Qian earlier that day, during which the Chinese envoy had given clearance for Indonesian aircraft to land in Hubei and evacuate the country’s stranded citizens.

"We have talked with Indonesian diplomats in Hubei province. In Wuhan, the [evacuation] process continues,” Retno said.

She thanked all relevant ministries and state institutions as well as Chinese authorities for their cooperation in facilitating the repatriation. 

President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo ordered on Thursday evening the immediate repatriation of the at least 243 Indonesians trapped in locked-down Wuhan and the surrounding Hubei province – the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, which as of Friday had killed 213 and infected nearly 10,000 in mainland China.

The Air Force has kept three aircraft and a team of health personnel on standby to evacuate Indonesian citizens from Hubei at any time, awaiting instructions from the government. The government has also prepared Sulianto Saroso Hospital in North Jakarta to be used as a quarantine facility to monitor the inbound citizens once they arrive in Indonesia. (ami)