Travelers
REUTERS

More than 200 U.S. citizens were recently evacuated from Wuhan, China, according to a report from Fox News. Wuhan has been confirmed as the area of origin for the increasingly deadly coronavirus that is slowly spreading across the globe.

According to reports, a Boeing 747 with no windows was chartered by the U.S. government to bring the Americans home. The aircraft was initially scheduled to land at Ontario International Airport in San Bernandino, California, but was later diverted to March Air Force Reserve Base.

Curt Hagman, a commissioner at the Ontario International Airport, said on social media that the CDC had informed him of its decision to divert the flight.

"Ontario International is one of the repatriation airports for the west coast and we are always prepared to receive our citizens abroad in times of emergencies," Hagman said. "We were prepared but the state department decided to switch the flight to March Air Force Base for logistics that they have."

Hagman said he wasn't given any other details about the flight. "It's been very fluid, in terms of the last 36 to 48 hours of information," he said.

Hagman also stated that residents of the area were voicing their concerns regarding the flight landing at Ontario International.

"People are concerned -- they wanted to make sure the government is protecting them," Hagman told the LA Times.

San Bernandino was originally chosen to be the landing point for the evacuees, the Ontario International Airport was designated roughly 10 years ago, but this would have been the first time the airport was used for national health emergency reasons.

The Department of State released the following statement regarding the controversial flight.

"The Department of State has the lead for the safe and expedient ordered departure of US citizens. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are collaborating with the Department of State on the logistics of public health evaluations for every traveler on the flight. HHS and CDC are working with partners to ensure that any traveler who develops symptoms during their journey receives appropriate medical care."

As for the travelers, they were reportedly screened prior to the flight, closely monitored for the duration of the flight, and screened once again when the plane stopped for fuel in Anchorage, Alaska.

"[The passengers would be] monitored on the last leg of the flight by medical personnel on board; evaluated upon arrival at March Air Reserve Base in Riverside County, California; and then monitored for symptoms post-arrival," the CDC added.

China has announced a national cut off from Wuhan and surrounding provinces, stating that no one is allowed to enter, or leave the city in an effort to contain the virus. However, countries such as the U.S., Japan, and South Korea have announced evacuation plans.

Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates confirmed their first cases of the virus. The first such cases confirmed in the Middle East. Doctors are now treating a family that had just come from Wuhan, according to the country's WAM news agency.