The UAE has flown hundreds of foreign nationals from Hubei province to Abu Dhabi in a humanitarian operation conducted in co-operation with the Chinese government.
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, announced the flight on Wednesday.
The 215 people - from countries including Syria, Iraq, Mauritania, Sudan, Brazil, Egypt and Jordan - were flown to UAE capital in a plane equipped with medical facilities, reported state news agency Wam. They were brought to the UAE at the request of their country's respective governments.Earlier, a flight tracking website showed an Etihad plane leaving Wuhan, the centre of the coronavirus outbreak, for Abu Dhabi.
The passengers were cleared of coronavirus prior to leaving China. They will be tested again in a medical city, in Abu Dhabi, that was built to accommodate evacuees from abroad.
There, they will undergo medical check-ups and be placed under quarantine for 14 days, Wam said.
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"I share in the UAE's commitment to the greater good for humankind as we evacuate foreign nationals in Hubei. They will receive the best medical care before they return home," Sheikh Mohamed said on Twitter.
"We thank the Chinese government for its assistance and acknowledge the great work of our citizen volunteers."
The humanitarian operation was carried out under the directives of President Sheikh Khalifa.
Local health authorities announced a medical city would be built on the outskirts of Abu Dhabi last month.
Senior health officials said the site would provide all the necessary equipment and medical expertise to treat patients over a 14-day quarantine period.
In a tweet from the government’s communication office, Abdulrahman Al Owais, the Minister of Health and Prevention, said there was no need to panic.
He said authorities had all the necessary technical and logistical preparations in hand, and would tackle suspected cases of the virus with “firm procedures”.