New Zealanders in Wuhan may today find out when they can return home

Passengers who get on the Air New Zealand evacuation flight from Wuhan will be charged $500. Photo / Getty Images

New Zealanders desperately awaiting evacuation from Wuhan can hope to have answers today on when they will be able to return home.

And they have just a few more hours to register their interest in a seat on the evacuation flight. People who want to get on it must provide their details to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFAT) by midday New Zealand time.

MFAT is expected to announce details today on when a planned evacuation flight may be able to leave Wuhan.

The Director-General of Health, Ashley Bloomfield, said on Saturday that logistics for the planned flight were being finalised.

"The government is expecting to make a further announcement on the whole package [on Sunday]".

Questions remain around what will happen to passengers if they have symptoms of the coronavirus and any isolation period that might follow after they land.

"The Chinese government themselves has a clear cut-off period for a raised temperature and they won't let people proceed to the plane if that person has an elevated temperature," Dr Bloomfield said yesterday.

Dr Ashley Bloomfield. Photo / RNZ, Patrice Allen

A pre-flight assessment will be done on passengers and St John staff will travel to Wuhan for this, Dr Bloomfield said.

Measures will also be taken in-flight to protect passengers and crew.

Chinese passports

Those travelling on a Chinese passport will not be permitted to travel unless they are permanent New Zealand residents accompanying immediate family.

That includes a parent, child or spouse travelling on a New Zealand passport.

Dr Bloomfield said "the important thing is that they [MFAT] are able to ensure that New Zealand citizens who wish to be, can be evacuated out of Wuhan."

Precautions

Dr Bloomfield said the crew dealing with the passengers would not be required to wear haz-mat suits, and instead would wear gear similar to what hospital staff wear when dealing with infectious patients.

Haz-mat suits were designed to protect against serious chemical hazards. "That won't be necessary in this case," he said.

He said officials were still expecting a case here in New Zealand and the possibility of border screening was being reviewed daily.

Six people in New Zealand had been tested for the coronavirus as of Saturday, and all results had come back negative.