News media members prepare for the arrival of an aircraft, chartered by the U.S. State Department to evacuate government employees and other Americans from the coronavirus threat in Wuhan, California, U.S., January 29, 2020. (Mike Blake/Reuters)

A flight chartered by the State Department evacuated 210 U.S. citizens from China, the origin of the deadly coronavirus outbreak, and touched down in Alaska on Tuesday night.

The passengers, which include U.S. diplomats and their families, were medically screened at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport and all were cleared to continue on the flight to March Air Reserve Base near Riverside, California, where they were expected to touch down at 8a.m. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will work with local officials in California to “ensure these people can get back home and not put anyone at risk,” according to Dr. Cameron Kaiser of the Riverside County Department of Public Health.


The flight left from Wuhan, where the coronavirus first erupted. The State Department has issued a travel warning for Wuhan, saying Americans should avoid travel to the city while the virus is spreading.

The virus, a respiratory illness, has already claimed 132 lives in China and spread to 5,974 people. The virus causes symptoms similar to pneumonia, although many cases are as mild as the flu. The U.S. has identified five people in the U.S. who have been infected with the virus, all of whom recently traveled to Wuhan. Another 73 people are being observed for suspect symptoms.

The CDC and airport officials will coordinate to clean the Anchorage airport terminal that received the flight’s passengers.



“For many of us directly involved, this has been a moving and uplifting experience,” Alaska’s chief medical officer, Dr. Anne Zink, said. “The whole plane erupted in cheers when the crew said, ‘Welcome home to the United States.'”

About 1,000 Americans live in Wuhan, but the State Department prioritized the return of those “most at risk” of being sickened by the virus.

Meanwhile, people who never visited China have contracted the virus in Germany, Japan, Taiwan, and Vietnam.

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