BANGKOK – Thailand will send an aircraft to evacuate 161 Thai citizens from China’s Wuhan city on Tuesday and put them in quarantine for 14 days after their return.
Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul revealed that none of the evacuees had been infected with the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV).
“The only concern is their mental stress,” he said after chairing a workshop on disease control with over 500 medical personnel.
Initial reports say the flight will take the Thai citizens from Wuhan to U-tapao naval airbase in Chon Buri province.
Commander-in-chief of the Royal Thai Navy Adm Leuchai Ruddit said the government had not finalized the plan but the Navy was ready to facilitate the operation.
If it was confirmed, vacation homes of the Royal Thai Navy could be used for the 14-day mandatory quarantine, said Adm Leuchai.
The new coronavirus has now spread to 27 countries and territories worldwide. There are 17,393 confirmed cases and 362 deaths as of Monday’s afternoon.
Thailand has 19 confirmed cases of the virus with 8 of them fully recovered.
On Sunday, a team of doctors at Rajavithi Hospital in Bangkok claimed they discovered a medical treatment that cured a patient of coronavirus in 48 hours.
Dr. Kriangsak Atipornwanich said the 70-year-old female patient from Wuhan was given a combination of drugs used in HIV and flu treatments.
He said more tests were still needed to ensure the method’s effectiveness.
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