A charter flight carrying 153 Taiwan nationals and their family members from the Chinese city of Wuhan, where they have been stranded since the new coronavirus was first discovered late last year, touched down March 29 at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport.
 
All passengers underwent health screening on arrival, with none found displaying symptoms associated with COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus. They were later dispatched to a facility in northern Taiwan for a 14-day mandatory quarantine, according to the Central Epidemic Command Center.
 
All returnees will be tested for COVID-19, the CECC said, adding that they will stay in single rooms and receive checkups twice daily.
 
This is the fourth evacuation operation of Taiwan nationals since the virus outbreak began, following flights Feb. 3, Feb. 21 and March 10 carrying 247 individuals from Wuhan; 19 from the virus-stricken Diamond Princess cruise ship in Yokohama, Japan; and another 361 from Wuhan, respectively.
 
Earlier the same day, a charter flight arranged by Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs touched down in Miami, carrying 55 Taiwan nationals and 84 citizens from Japan, Singapore and the U.S. stranded in Peru.
 
Operated by LATAM Airlines, the flight took off from Cusco with a stop in the Peruvian capital of Lima after the South American country’s government announced a lockdown March 16 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. (SFC-E)
 
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