Pinoys to be repatriated from China awaiting flight schedule —envoy

Filipinos in China who wish to return to the Philippines amid the the novel coronavirus outbreak have no definite flight schedule yet, Philippine Ambassador to China Chito Sta. Romana said Thursday.

"No definite date for departure yet as consultations and coordination are ongoing with Chinese authorities regarding flight clearance and other requirements," Sta. Romana said in an emailed message.

Also, Sta. Romana said less than 50 have so far expressed their intention to be repatriated, and that the registration process is ongoing.

Those who will be repatriated are required to undergo a 14-day quarantine period in a medical facility that is being arranged by the Department of Health.

The novel coronavirus (nCoV), which was first detected in China's Wuhan City, has already claimed 170  lives and infected over 6,000 others.

According to the Department of Foreign Affairs, around 300 Filipinos are in Hubei province and 150 of them are staying in Wuhan City which is currently under lockdown due to the novel virus.

Authorities assured the public that existing travel restrictions will not affect the repatriation process.

So far, the Philippines has remained nCoV-free, but 23 people are still under investigation, health authorities said. —Dona Magsino/LBG, GMA News