Fee to take flight from virus ditched
AUSTRALIANS evacuated from China’s coronavirus ground zero will not be slugged with a $1000 fee for the emergency flight to Christmas Island.
Qantas last night refused to confirm any details of the Federal Government’s recovery mission for Australians stranded in Wuhan, but it is understood a Boeing 747 tasked with carrying out the operation left Sydney about 1pm yesterday.
The number of confirmed cases of coronavirus in Australia remained at 12 yesterday, while the global tally jumped by 2 per cent to 14,000 patients.
There have been deaths in China confirmed.
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg announced the $1000 fee to escape Wuhan would be scrapped yesterday after the Federal Government was initially criticised for the plan to charge Australians in the locked-down Hubei Province for the evacuation.
“We’re not (charging people),” Mr Frydenberg said.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton had previously said it was normal practice for Australians to be charged a nominal fee for assistance.
But Mr Frydenberg said their comments were based on departmental advice now known to be wrong.
“We won’t be charging, those people will be able to come to Australia without a cost incurred,” he said.
“It’s very clear that the advice that we got originally was incorrect.”
It is understood a Boeing 747-400 with the registration VH-OEF, which left Sydney yesterday afternoon, will stop at Hong Kong before flying to Wuhan.
The 747 was due to land at 11.30pm local time and then take off as QF6032 at 2.30am bound for Australia.
It was understood the plane was heading to Perth rather than Darwin, as was initially reported.
Once in Australia it will be met by two Royal Australian Air Force C-17 transports for the onward flight to Christmas Island.
The Qantas 747 will then be subject to a “deep clean” before being put back into general service.
Mr Dutton warned the virus situation was not likely to improve in the short term.
“We need Australians, if they’re considering a holiday at the moment to reconsider whether an outbound overseas trip is what they want to do,” he told Sky News.
He said holidaying at home could help tourist operators and local businesses struggling with the double hit of bushfires and coronavirus.
But Australia’s Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy said the travel warnings only related to mainland China, not all overseas destinations.
Arrival numbers from China plummeted in the first 24 hours after the travel ban on non-australian citizens or permanent residents was implemented.
Australian Border Force Commissioner Michael Outram said only 700 people arrived in Melbourne yesterday instead of the normal 5000 passengers, while in Brisbane 97 arrived instead of 220.
Qantas passenger Rebecca Su, 29, said that it took about two hours for her to get through quarantine after arriving in Sydney from Shanghai yesterday.
“We were instructed for precaution to stay at home for 14 days and get someone else to get your food,” she said.
Ms Su said she was happy to self-isolate to “protect the interest of all” Australians.