US, Other Countries Scramble to Evacuate Citizens From Wuhan, Center of Viral Outbreak

A medical staff member, wearing protective clothing to help stop the spread of a deadly virus that began in the city, boards an ambulance at the Wuhan Red Cross Hospital in Wuhan on Jan. 25, 2020. Hector Retamal/AFP via Getty Images

The U.S. government will be sending a charter flight to evacuate American citizens and consular personnel out of Wuhan, the now-locked-down Chinese city where the deadly coronavirus outbreak first began, the State Department confirmed on Sunday.

A limited number of private citizens will be able to board a single flight “on a reimbursable basis” on Jan. 28 to leave Wuhan Tianhe International Airport for San Francisco, according to latest health alert update from the U.S. embassy website dated Jan. 26. Those interested can contact the U.S. embassy in Beijing with their personal information.