‘Unwell’ passenger leaves Jetstar flight stranded on Hobart airport tarmac

UPDATE: A man will be tested for coronavirus after becoming ill on a flight from Melbourne to Hobart, leaving passengers stranded. SEE PHOTO FROM INSIDE THE PLANE.

RELATED: JETSTAR PASSENGERS FROM MELBOURNE TELL OF HOBART AIRPORT ORDEAL

UPDATE 5.10PM:

A man will be assessed in an attempt to rule out coronavirus after becoming ill on a flight from Melbourne to Hobart, the state’s public health department has confirmed.

Director of Public Health, Dr Mark Veitch, provided an update on the situation late on Friday afternoon.

“A man will be thoroughly medically assessed to rule out coronavirus after becoming ill on a flight from Melbourne to Hobart,’’ he said.

“While the man has recently travelled in China, at this stage it is understood he was not in Wuhan or the wider Hubei Province where the disease outbreak is centred. It is not believed that he has been in direct contact with a confirmed case of the disease.”

Two Tasmanians have already been tested for the potentially deadly coronavirus, an outbreak which started in Wuhan in central China.

A woman in her 20s was tested at the Launceston General Hospital but tested negative for the virus on Thursday.

She had reported feeling unwell after recently returning from China.

A Hobart man in his 30s was hospitalised last weekend and also tested negative for the virus after having travelled to Wuhan.

EARLIER:

A FLIGHT arriving in Hobart from Melbourne Airport has been stuck on the tarmac for more than an hour and a half since landing as emergency services respond to an unwell passenger.

Jetstar flight JQ713 touched down in Hobart at about 2.25pm but passengers have not yet disembarked.

OTHER NEWS: Second person in Tasmania is being tested for coronavirus

Photo from passenger on board Melbourne to Hobart Jetstar flight JQ713, which has been stuck on the tarmac at Hobart Airport for more than an hour and a half since landing as emergency services respond to an unwell passenger. Picture: SUPPLIED

A man, who did not want to be named, told the Mercury he had been getting updates from a friend who is on the flight.

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The man was sent a message at 2.35pm from his friend saying she was on the ground and waiting to disembark.

A message at 2.42pm read: “A Chinese guy said he wasn’t feeling well, so we are waiting for medical advice. He told the steward that he has only been to Singapore, not China. Hopefully won’t be too long.”

Melbourne to Hobart Jetstar flight JQ713, which has been stuck on the tarmac at Hobart Airport. Picture: SUPPLIED

The woman sent the man another message at 2.52pm: “Waiting for Ambulance Tasmania to turn up for their assessment of the person.”

The man, who is waiting to pick up his friend, said he saw two ambulances pass him in the direction of the airport.

At 3.51pm, the woman again wrote to the man: “I can see the guy and he looks OK, not impressed with contingency plan of airline or the airport.”

As at 4pm, passengers had still not disembarked.

In a statement, a Jetstar spokesman said: “A passenger reported feeling unwell towards the end of one of our Melbourne-Hobart flights this afternoon.

“As a precaution and following standard procedure, the captain asked ambulance to meet the aircraft on arrival and attend to the passenger.”

More to come.