Turkey: No sign of coronavirus among Wuhan evacuees

By Dilara Hamit

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey's health minister on Sunday announced that sample tests on 42 evacuees airlifted from Wuhan, China -- the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak -- would be released on Monday.

Speaking to press members in the capital Ankara, Fahrettin Koca reiterated that there were no signs of the coronavirus among the evacuees, who arrived in Ankara late Saturday, and that no coronavirus cases had been diagnosed in Turkey.

"Thanks to our experience, strong health organization and dynamic staff, we were among the first countries to take action," said Koca.

The Turkish Armed Forces' A400M type cargo plane departed from Wuhan on Saturday with the evacuees including Turkish nationals, along with citizens of Azerbaijan, Albania and Georgia, after health staff confirmed they did not carry any symptoms related to the fatal outbreak.

The coronavirus, so named because under the microscope it resembles a crown, has killed at least 304 people in China, with over 14,000 infected.

Since its outbreak late last year, China has put Wuhan under lockdown in a bid to contain the virus and is building a 1,000-bed hospital to treat those affected.

Beyond China, the virus has spread to Japan, South Korea, Thailand, the U.S., Singapore, France, Vietnam, Malaysia, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, India, Nepal and Canada.

Travelers from China are being screened for the virus at airports worldwide. Several airlines have suspended flights to Wuhan.