Still no timeline for repatriation of Canadians trapped in Wuhan region as virus spreads

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – More than 300 Canadians continue to wait for a flight home from the epicentre of the novel coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, which has left more than 360 people dead, almost entirely in China, and infected 17,000 in that country and abroad.

It’s still unclear when the Canadian plane will be allowed to touch down in Wuhan to pick the citizens who have requested diplomatic aid to get out, as Ottawa awaits final approval from Beijing.

Related video: Feds seek approval to take Canadians home from Wuhan

 

Once they are repatriated, the Canadians will be taken to CFB Trenton in Ontario for two weeks under quarantine.

So far, only four cases of the virus have been confirmed in Canada — one in B.C. and three in Ontario.

The federal government is expected to provide an update on the country’s novel coronavirus situation as well as efforts to repatriate Canadians on Monday morning.

Meawhile, a 1,000 bed hospital built in just 10 days is treating its first novel coronavirus patients in Wuhan as China rushes a second, even larger, facility to completion within the next few days.

The Huoshenshan Hospital was built by crews who worked around the clock in Wuhan, where millions of people in the central city and surrounding area have been on lockdown due to the virus. The government has cut off road, rail, and air access to the region in an effort to try and stop the spread of the virus.

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Featuring specialized ventilation systems and double-sided cabinets connecting rooms to hallways, the hospital allows staff to deliver supplies without having to even enter a patient’s room. In order to stop the possible spread of the novel coronavirus to staff, the facility also is equipped with scanners to warn if employees start to show symptoms, website Economy Net — which says it provided the technology — reports.

This is the second time the Chinese government has responded to an outbreak of a new disease by building a specialized hospital to treat patients within just days. As SARS spread rapidly in 2003, a specialized facility was built in Beijing within a week.

On Thursday, the World Health Organization declared a global health emergency over the outbreak.

Related video: WHO declares global health emergency over coronavirus

-With files from The Associated Press

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