GOVT. TO SEND EVACUATION PLANES TO WUHAN

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The South Korean government has decided to send chartered planes to evacuate Korean residents from Wuhan. They are planned to be in isolation for at least two weeks upon arrival, and the President has ordered the government to conduct tests for coronavirus on all people coming from the Chinese city in order to prevent secondary infections.

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The government will send a plane as early as January 30 to evacuate Korean nationals in Wuhan. According to the Korean Consulate General in Wuhan, 693 Korean citizens asked for seats on the evacuation plane. However, in accordance with the Chinese government's policy, Korean people with Chinese citizenship cannot leave the city on the Korean plane, even though they are family of Korean nationals. Those suspected of showing symptoms, like vomiting or fever, will also be quarantined in Wuhan. The evacuees signed an agreement with the government, to be quarantined for at least two weeks after arriving in Korea. They can be discharged after undergoing tests and are confirmed negative with no abnormal symptoms. President Moon Jae-in ordered the government to make all-out efforts to prevent the further spread of the virus. He emphasized the importance of conducting coronavirus tests on all travelers coming from the Chinese city, adding that preemptive measures are necessary to prevent secondary infections, since symptoms begin to appear late. Moon also said that military medical staff and facilities can be deployed if necessary. The President also highlighted that a proposal to temporarily prohibit Chinese people from entering is not an option at the current stage, since the WHO has not announced a travel ban. The government upgraded the infectious disease warning from caution to warning. A central disease control headquarters, headed by the health minister, began operations on Monday. The government is also focusing on minimizing the disease's impacts on the economy. Finance chief Hong Nam-ki chaired an emergency economic meeting at the Seoul government complex on Tuesday. The minister unveiled plans to swiftly use a budget of over 20 billion won for preemptive efforts to prevent the spread of the virus. He also vowed to do his utmost to minimize the outbreak's negative impacts on the economy and the financial market. The government also sought the people's cooperation in overcoming the crisis. It asked people to follow cough etiquette and voluntarily report to health authorities if they have suspicious symptoms.