VANCOUVER -- A second plane chartered to evacuate Canadians from Wuhan, China has departed and is bound for Vancouver International Airport.
Canada's foreign affairs minister, Francois-Philippe Champagne, said 185 passengers were screened for symptoms of the new coronavirus and allowed on board. Similar to the first chartered plane that departed from Wuhan last week, it'll stop briefly at the Vancouver airport for refuelling before continuing on to Trenton, Ont.
Once there, all passengers will be quarantined at the Canadian Forces Base for two weeks.
When the previous plane was chartered, arrangements were made with the B.C. government to assist any passengers who began experiencing symptoms during the first leg of the journey. No passengers were taken off that flight in Vancouver, however.
CTV News Vancouver confirmed with provincial health authorities that the same arrangement has been made and the plane is scheduled to arrive shortly after 8 p.m. local time.
Monte Gisborne, who lives Metro Vancouver, is a Canadian citizen but his wife, Daniela Luo, and their daughter, Dominica Gisborne are permanent residents of Canada. Previously, Gisborne had described discussions with authorities in Ottawa about their return to Canada as "cryptic, unclear ... lacking detail and lacking any hope." Both Luo and Gisborne are on the second chartered flight.
There were 176 passengers on the first flight, which touched down briefly in Vancouver last Friday. Another 50 passengers arrived on an American chartered plane. They were transferred to Trenton after being dropped off at YVR.
In a statement Sunday, Canada's chief public health officer, Dr. Theresa Tam, said none of the first evacuees from Wuhan who are quarantined at the Canadian Forces Base have exhibited any symptoms of the virus.
So far, seven cases of the virus have also been diagnosed in Canada, four of them in B.C. and three in Ontario.
With files from The Canadian Press
