IAF Expected To Bring Back Indians Stuck In Coronavirus Hit Wuhan City of China On 27 February

After reports of Chinese authorities delaying the permission for an Indian Air Force (IAF) flight to airlift Indians stuck in China's Wuhan city which has been the epicentre of the Novel Coronavirus outbreak, the IAF is now expected to carry out the airlift operation on 27 February, reports Asian News International (ANI).

The IAF aircraft is expected to depart from India on 26 February. The development was made public in a press release issued after the Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr Harsh Vardhan yesterday held a meeting with the officials to review the management to contain the Novel Coronavirus outbreak across the nation.

"As informed by the Ministry of External Affairs, departure of the Air Force flight to Wuhan is being planned for February 26 and the evacuees will arrive on February 27," the ministry said in a statement.

Earlier, as claimed by the officials, China was causing delay in issuing the clearance to the C-17 military aircraft, scheduled to fly to Wuhan on 20 February. However, the neighbouring nation had let other countries’ flights to safely evacuate their citizens, they added.

The statement also said that the passengers were being subjected to screening at 21 airports, 12 major and 65 non-major seaports and border crossings. It also underscored that so far as many as 4,214 flights and 4,48,449 passengers had been screened.

Meanwhile, it should be noted that from the previous set of evacuees from Wuhan, none had tested positive for the Coronavirus and thus have safely returned to their homes from the quarantine facilities.