Australia virus evacuation flight heads to island

Australian citizens and permanent residents, evacuated out of the coronavirus epicentre in Wuhan, arrived at a remote airbase in Learmonth, Western Australia on Monday (February 3), before being transferred to Christmas Island for quarantine.

The 243 passengers on board the Qantas aircraft were given masks and hand sanitiser and the crew was told to remain on the upper deck of the plane other than manning the doors.

Some passengers will be flown to Christmas Island tonight, while others will remain in transit accommodation, said the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Evacuees will be held in a detention centre on Christmas Island for two weeks that has previously been used to detain asylum seekers.