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Australia Announces Coronavirus Island Quarantine Plan

Phil Mercer

   SYDNEY - Australia is awaiting permission from China to airlift its
   citizens out of the coronavirus-hit province of Hubei and put them into
   quarantine on a remote island in the Indian Ocean. Health authorities
   say seven cases of the potentially deadly disease have been diagnosed
   in Australia.

   More than 600 Australians are waiting to be repatriated from the
   epicenter of the coronavirus in the Chinese city of Wuhan. American and
   Japanese nationals have already been flown out by their governments,
   and authorities in Canberra hope to do the same.

   However, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison says the rescue
   mission must have Chinese approval.

   "I want to stress we cannot give a guarantee that this operation is
   able to succeed, and I also want to stress very clearly that we may not
   be in a position if we are able to do this on one occasion to do it on
   another occasion," he said.

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