Darwin coronavirus evacuee mercy flight from Wuhan delayed for up to 24 hours

A QANTAS plane due to fly to Wuhan — the Chinese city at the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak — to fly desperate Australian evacuees back to Darwin, has been delayed by up to 24 hours

The former Inpex workers’ camp outside Darwin ... Prime Minister Scott Morrison has confirmed it will be used to quarantine Australians evacuated from China’s coronavirus ground zero. Picture: Glenn Campbell

A QANTAS plane due to fly to Wuhan — the Chinese city at the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak — on Friday afternoon to fly desperate Australians evacuees back to Darwin, has been delayed because official clearance for the flight had not been secured.

It is understood that the flight has been delayed by up to 24 hours.

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The Qantas mercy flight is expected to bring more than 200 stranded Australians to Darwin where they will be quarantined in the former Inpex workers’ village at Howard Springs 30km south of the city.

Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt signed off on the use of the Manigurr-ma Accommodation Village  on Friday night after the NT News revealed the Government’s plans to send the evacuees there.

ADF personnel man the security gatehouse at the former Inpex workers’ village at Howard Springs in Darwin’s rural area on Friday afternoon. Picture: Glenn Campbell

The Qantas Boeing has been sent to the coronavirus-hit Wuhan to bring back Australian residents, but hundreds more who want to come home will have to be left behind.

Those who do come back will fly to the Darwin RAAF base before taking special buses directly to the workers’ village.

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Defence personnel were on Friday busy preparing the camp, which health officials have described as the “perfect” quarantine centre, for the evacuees.

The $600 million village includes a 50-seat cinema, swimming pool, library, outdoor beach volleyball court, cardio and spin room, commercial style gym, 2700m running track, music room, basketball and tennis courts, cricket nets, sports oval, commercial kitchen and dining hall, internet room, tavern and shop.

Its 875 accommodation units include 3500 bedrooms with ensuites.

Life at the village will be a far cry from conditions on Christmas Island – where some of the 276 evacuees flown there this week have complained about cockroaches and woeful internet.

But the move is facing community opposition with Darwin locals suggesting the empty Wickham Point Detention Centre – which sits in a far more isolated location – should be used instead.

The commercial kitchen, above, onsite cinema, below, and gym, bottom, at the former Inpex workers’ village. The facilities have since been mothballed

Inpex Workers Village. The onsite Cinema

Tour of the former Inpex workers village at Howard Springs facilities include medical centre, commercial kitchen, dining hall, tavern, indoor air-conditioned sports centre , swimming pool, tennis courts, basketball courts, accommodation units 875 blocks. Picture Katrina Bridgeford.

The Manigurr-ma village is near the small town of Howard Springs and a private school.

NT Chief Minister Michael Gunner said the evacuees would be tested before flying out of China and none showing symptoms of coronavirus would be allowed in.

“There will be no health risk to the general public,” he said.

They will be accompanied on their flight by an AUSMAT medical team which will then be based at the village.

The evacuees will not be allowed to leave the village during their 14 days of quarantine.

Acting NT Chief Health Officer, Di Stephens said the evacuees would not interact with the public.

She said evacuees would be taken through the defence side of the airport when they land in Darwin and be taken to workers’ camp by buses staffed by AUSMAT (Australian Medical Assistance Teams) personnel.

There is also a pool at the former workers village at Howard Springs, above and other facilities, below. There is also a medical centre on site.

Tour of the former Inpex workers village at Howard Springs facilities include medical centre, commercial kitchen, dining hall, tavern, indoor air-conditioned sports centre , swimming pool, tennis courts, basketball courts, accommodation units 875 blocks. Picture Katrina Bridgeford.

Mr Hunt said the Inpex village was a safe, secure and appropriate facility for quarantine purposes.

“The CMO (Chief Medical Officer) and AUSMAT have certified that it is not just safe but it is an outstandingly clean isolation facility,” he said.

“It protects those who will be arriving – all of whom are expected to be in very good health – and it protects the community around it.”

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Chief Medical Officer Professor Brendan Murphy, who arrived with Mr Hunt, said there was “no risk whatsoever” to the public in quarantining evacuees in the disused camp.

“There is no way that we would put anyone in the community at even the slightest risk, and I personally will guarantee the safety of the community around Howard Springs,” he said.