Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced on Wednesday morning (Jan. 29, 2020) that the government will be helping Australians evacuate Hubei Province, China, the epicentre of the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak.
Quarantined on Christmas Island
There are roughly 600 Australians registered in the Hubei region, according to Reuters.
The government will set up a quarantine centre on Christmas Island to house and treat everyone transported under the plan, Morrison said to reporters in Canberra.
Morrison did not say how many of the 600 Australians registered in the Hubei region the government would be able to help, adding Australia would also be working to help New Zealand and Pacific island citizens in Hubei.
The evacuations will be done on a last in-first out basis, Morrison said, adding that priority will be given to the young and elderly.
Christmas Island home to roughly 1,800 residents
Christmas Island, an Australian territory in the Indian Ocean 1,500km from the mainland, is home to roughly 1,800 residents, according to the 2016 Census of Christmas Island.
In 1958, authority over Christmas Island was transferred from Singapore to Australia by the United Kingdom.
Top image via Thomas Peter/Reuters
If you like what you read, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Telegram to get the latest updates.