36 evacuated from China to France show virus symptoms

(CNA) – AIX-EN-PROVENCE, France: Thirty-six people aboard an evacuation flight from China that landed in France on Sunday (Feb 2) showed symptoms of the novel coronavirus, which has killed more than 360 people, Health Minister Agnes Buzyn said.

In all, 254 people arrived in France from the Chinese city of Wuhan, where the deadly virus was first detected, on the second such flight.

“About 20 people who presented symptoms have stayed on the tarmac” at Istres airport in the south of France to undergo further testing, Buzyn told journalists. They included French and non-European nationals.

Tests were carried out to establish whether they had the coronavirus and the results will be known on Monday, the health ministry told AFP.

A further 16 foreign nationals displaying symptoms were flown back to their respective countries.

The second evacuation flight was carrying people of 30 different nationalities, most of them European. Sixty-five of the returnees were French.

A total of 124 non-French evacuees swiftly travelled on to their home countries, according to military sources in Istres.