China Virus: More than 300 South Koreans Airlifted from Wuhan Amid Outbreak

A South Korean chartered aircraft, carrying more than 300 South Koreans from Wuhan, arrived at Gimpo Airport in Seoul on Friday amid the new coronavirus outbreak. Led by foreign ministry officials, the chartered plane left Wuhan late on Thursday night. The returnees will be quarantined at two different temporary facilities in Jincheon and Asan. The World Health Organization declared the outbreak, sparked by a new virus in China that has spread to more than a dozen countries, as a global emergency on Thursday after the number of cases spiked more than tenfold in a week. The UN health agency defines an international emergency as an “extraordinary event” that constitutes a risk to other countries and requires a coordinated international response. China first informed WHO about cases of the new virus in late December. To date, China has reported more than 7,800 cases including 170 deaths. Eighteen other countries have since reported cases, as scientists race to understand how exactly the virus is spreading and how severe it is. Experts say there is significant evidence the virus is spreading among people in China and have noted with concern instances in other countries - including the United States, France, Japan, Germany, Canada, South Korea and Vietnam - where there have also been isolated cases of human-to-human transmission. Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/2TwO8Gm QUICKTAKE ON SOCIAL: Follow QuickTake on Twitter: twitter.com/quicktake Like QuickTake on Facebook: facebook.com/quicktake Follow QuickTake on Instagram: instagram.com/quicktake Subscribe to our newsletter: https://bit.ly/2FJ0oQZ Email us at [email protected] QuickTake by Bloomberg is a global news network delivering up-to-the-minute analysis on the biggest news, trends and ideas for a new generation of leaders.