Mission Hubei: 57 Macau residents arrived at Taipa airport

Air Macau Flight from Wuhan arrived Saturday at 6:20pm at the Macau airport

Fifty-seven Macau residents, out of a total of 31 households, have arrived safely today (Saturday) at the Taipa airport at around 6:20pm.
They all have already completed medical examinations, measured body temperature, put on protective suits, provided by the Health Services, and boarded the chartered plane at 4:51pm in Wuhan. The return flight to Macau was scheduled for 16:51 and lasts 90 minutes.

The Government of the Macau SAR has taken all appropriate security measures to reduce the risk to passengers and workers on board as much as possible, a note earlier from the Government Information Bureau (GCS) said.

The source added that one of the residents did not board because, when Hubei’s customs services measured his temperature, he accused 37.5 degrees, above the 37.3 degree limit set by customs authorities. Therefore, his departure was refused, said the bureau. “The competent services of the province monitor the situation of this resident and carry out further examinations.”

A video still shot of a family leaving the plane to take the bus on the tarmac

The Government’s chartered flight took off from Macau International Airport at 9.30am this morning as planned.

The outbound flight – NX9608 – was scheduled to land at Wuhan Tianhe International Airport at 11.07am, in order to pick up 58 Macao residents – drawn from an aggregate of 32 families – that wish to leave Hubei.

The list of returnees was updated as a resident decided “for personal reasons not to take the chartered flight,” said the Coordinator of the Tourism Crisis Management Office, Helena de Senna Fernandes, who also heads MGTO

Senna Fernandes gave the information to reporters at a command centre set up at Macau International Airport to oversee the chartered flight arrangements. She was accompanied by the Director of the Health Bureau, Dr Lei Chin Ion. The command centre began operations at 7.30am today.

The Government had been notified that one family seeking to return to Macao would arrive at Wuhan Tianhe International Airport later than scheduled, i.e., at around 2pm, due to foggy weather in the Wuhan area. Senna Fernandes said the government’s chartered flight would wait for that family before flying back to the MSAR.

Senna Fernandes said one Macau family in Hubei had started their journey to Wuhan’s airport at 2am today, in order to catch the chartered flight. She added that, “the Tourism Crisis Management Office would remain in close contact with all those intending to take the flight home.”

Meanwhile, the command center has been “providing timely updates on the situation to the Chief Executive, Ho Iat Seng.” The Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the MSAR “was also in close communication with the Hubei Government.”

Speaking in the press briefing, Dr Lei said “morale was high among the government personnel” sent on the flight to assist in the homecoming mission.

The Secretary for Administration and Justice, André Cheong ; the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Ao Ieong U; and the Chief-of-Office of the CE’s Office, Hoi Lai Fong, also visited the airport and talked to the government personnel before the latter boarded the flight.

The Government personnel consisted of six medical professionals from the Health Bureau and two staff members from the MGTO. The seven-member flight crew consisted of staff from Air Macau. The 15 people on board the flight assembled at 7am at the Conde S. Januário Hospital for body-temperature checks and other preparations before departure, GCS revealed.