Coronavirus evacuees arrive in Darwin

UPDATE: The first bus loads of Australian Wuhan coronavirus evacuees arrived at the Manigurr-Ma Village in Howard Springs to be quarantined about 3pm.

The plane with coronavirus evacuees on the runway at Darwin Airport. Picture: Matt Cunningham

The first bus loads of Australian Wuhan coronavirus evacuees arrived at the Manigurr-Ma Village in Howard Springs to be quarantined about 3pm.

More than 200 evacuees landed just about 11.50am on Sunday on a Qantas flight, disembarking at the Darwin RAAF base.

The first two bus loads of evacuees arrived at the former Howard Springs Inpex workers’ camp, about 30km south of Darwin, about 3pm.

Dressed in medical smocks and with face masks, evacuees smiled and waved to the media scrum upon entry.

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The passengers were expected to undergo medical checks at the RAAF base before being moved to the camp.

The camp is the second quarantine site set up by the Federal Government after 276 evacuees were flown to Christmas Island last week.

Four large buses and a min bus had arrived at the RAAF almost an hour after the plane landed in Darwin.

None of the five drivers appeared to be wearing face masks on their way into the base.

Evacuees had been in limbo after their flight from Wuhan was delayed by more than four hours, then having to go through procedures such as migration and screening.

A number of police cars entered and exited the base throughout the day, including a NT Government Biosecurity marked car.

None of the evacuees have tested positive to coronavirus and if any of them do test positive, they will be isolated in an appropriate health facility.

They will be quarantined for 14 days at the village, which has 875 accommodation units and 3500 bedrooms.

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No confirmed cases will be sent to the camp.

The Qantas was scheduled to depart Darwin RAAF at 2.30pm on Sunday, destined for Sydney International Airport.

The plane was initially delayed in Hong Kong as it was unable to get official clearance before it left Wuhan about 4.20am local time on Sunday morning.