Australians leave Christmas Island quarantine after being cleared of coronavirus

More than 241 Australians evacuated from China and held in quarantine on Christmas Island have returned to the mainland after being cleared of coronavirus.

The first Australians to be evacuated from China and held in quarantine on Christmas Island have returned to the Australian mainland after being cleared of the disease.

The 241 people were flown out of virus epicentre Wuhan two weeks ago amid fears they could contract the potentially deadly virus.

They were taken on a chartered Qantas flight to Christmas Island via Learmonth, in Western Australia, and kept in facilities used to house asylum seekers to Australia.

Now they have each been issued with certificates declaring they have not been infected with the disease, the ABC reports.

Australian evacuees who were quarantined on Christmas Island over concerns about the COVID-19 coronavirus collect their baggage at Sydney Airport. Picture: AAP Image/Steven Saphore

The evacuees were held at Flying Fish Cove on Christmas Island. Picture: AAP Image/Richard Wainwright

Sydney mother of two Li Ping Gu, who was rescued from Wuhan on a Qantas flight on February 3, has written a letter of thanks to the military and medics running the quarantine facility on Christmas Island. Pictures: Supplied

People were held in family groups on the island with strict instructions not to socialise. They also had to undergo medical checks twice a day and wear masks outside.

The flight touched down in Perth at 5:20pm on Monday, the ABC reports. Evacuees will be taken on to Adelaide, Canberra, Sydney and Brisbane.

Another 36 Australian evacuees, who flew out of Wuhan on an Air Zealand flight and arrived on Christmas Island two days after the first group, are due to fly home on Wednesday.

Queensland man Wayne Binney said he was thrilled to have the quarantine lifted after being held there with his wife and 15-year-old daughter.

“On the trip on the little buses here to the airport everyone was very happy and were looking out for crabs,” he said.

The death toll in mainland China reached 1770 as of Sunday, up by 105 from the previous day, while there were 2048 new cases, bringing the total count to 70,548.

Outside China, more than 500 cases have been confirmed, mostly of people who travelled from Chinese cities, with five deaths in Japan, Hong Kong, the Philippines, France and Taiwan.

Australian evacuees who were quarantined on Christmas Island get off a plane in Sydney after being cleared of the disease. Picture: AAP Image/Steven Saphore

Sydney mother of two Li Ping Gu on Christmas Island. Pictures: Supplied

On Monday, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced another 209 Australians quarantined on the Diamond Princess cruise ship off the coast of Japan would be evacuated and face 14 days of quarantine at a former workers’ village outside Darwin.

“So for those who are on-board, we are with you, we are doing everything we can to support you,” he told reporters in Melbourne on Monday.

“We want to get you home to your family, your friends as quick as we possibly can with the best care possible.”

The ship has been in quarantine in the port of Yokohama for more than two weeks, with the number of cases on-board now up to 355, including 16 Australians.

– With wires