Coronavirus - Q&A from the press briefing (29 January 2020)

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Q: Did a plane leave France today to collect French citizens from Wuhan? If so, what time did it take off and from which airport? When will it arrive in China? When is the plane scheduled to return? How many planes will be mobilized in total? Is it just the French nationals living in Wuhan involved in the repatriation or is it also for the French nationals living in Hubei province? How will these individuals be managed when they return to France?

Q: Will the operation to evacuate French nationals from Wuhan also include citizens from other European countries? Will it include Spanish nationals? If so, how many and when?

A: In the context of the operation to repatriate, via direct flights, those French nationals wishing to leave Wuhan, on which we are working together with the Chinese authorities, France has taken the initiative to activate the European coordination mechanisms that exist for this type of situation. In a spirit of European solidarity, the goal is to offer European countries the opportunity to enable, to the extent possible, those citizens wishing to do so to take advantage of the flights that France is providing.

Arrangements for this complex operation, for which planning is underway, will fully comply with public health recommendations.