Wuhan virus: Evacuated Aussie citizens to be quarantined on Christmas Island

Australia and New Zealand are planning to evacuate hundreds of citizens trapped in Hubei province and quarantine them for up to 14 days on Christmas Island, a remote territory in the Indian Ocean, to ensure they have not been infected by the Wuhan coronavirus.

Announcing the plan in Canberra yesterday, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said priority would be given to shorter-term travellers who do not have local support in Hubei, and of these, children and the elderly would be evacuated first. More than 600 Australian citizens, including at least 140 children, are in Hubei, as are more than 50 New Zealanders.

"We are moving very, very swiftly to ensure we can put this plan together and put the operation together," said Mr Morrison.

"I stress that this will be done on a last-in, first-out basis. Those who have been there who do not have an established support infrastructure where they are living (will be prioritised)."

The evacuees will be transferred to a detention centre on Christmas Island, an Australian island that has been used to hold asylum seekers. Currently, it houses a couple from Sri Lanka and their two Australia-born daughters. The family will be kept isolated from the Hubei evacuees.

Mr Morrison said his government was working with China on the arrangement, noting that "we cannot give a guarantee that this operation is able to succeed". A medical team will be dispatched to the centre on Christmas Island. Qantas has agreed to fly out the evacuees.

So far, six people in Australia have been confirmed as having the coronavirus. This includes a man in his 60s who tested positive in Melbourne yesterday after returning from Wuhan. More than 20 people are awaiting test results. There have been no human-to-human transmissions within Australia.

The federal government has upgraded its travel advisory to recommend that Australians reconsider travel plans to China. People were earlier advised not to travel to Hubei province.

Mr Morrison unveiled the evacuation plan yesterday as he gave his first major address of the year at the National Press Club in Canberra. In recent weeks, Mr Morrison has faced growing pressure over his handling of Australia's devastating bush fires. He is also dealing with a scandal involving a senior minister, Ms Bridget McKenzie, accused of using a sports grants scheme for political gains.

However, Mr Morrison made few concessions to his critics, launching a staunch defence of his climate change policies and stating that he was awaiting a review of whether Ms McKenzie had breached ministerial standards.