42 Wuhan evacuees released from quarantine: Turkey

By Fahri Aksut

ANKARA (AA) - All 42 people quarantined in Turkey after evacuation from Wuhan, China, were discharged from hospital on Friday.

Turkey’s health minister said none of the individuals -- 32 Turkish nationals, six Azerbaijanis, three Georgians, and one Albanian -- showed any signs of Covid-19, the disease caused by the deadly coronavirus.

“In line with recommendations of the Turkish Scientific Committee, the 42 people were placed in quarantine for 14 days and have now been discharged from hospital,” Health Minister Fahrettin Koca told reporters.

He said multiple tests were conducted to make sure that none of them were carriers of the new coronavirus, known as 2019-nCoV.

The 42 individuals were evacuated from Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, on a special military plane sent by Turkey on Feb. 1.

The medical staff, military personnel, and reporters who were part of the rescue mission were earlier released from quarantine on Feb. 11.

According to the China’s National Health Commission, the coronavirus death toll in the country has reached 1,381, with 63,851 more confirmed cases.

The virus has spread to more than 20 countries but only three deaths have been reported outside mainland China, one each in Japan, Hong Kong, and the Philippines.

The World Health Organization has declared the outbreak a global health emergency.