61 Chinese Tourists Evacuated

61 Chinese Tourists Evacuated (49 adults and 12 children) were evacuated as the plane took off on Saturday afternoon to return to Wuhan, China.

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61 Chinese Tourists Evacuated

The efforts of the Chinese government to evacuate its citizens from Bali were finally realized on Saturday (8/2) at 14.11 WITA. As many as 61 tourists departed by chartered plane from I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport to Wuhan, Hubei Province in China. In the evacuation process, all airport stakeholders overseeing the process adhered to a high level of security. In fact, the 16 cabin crew and medical teams from China were not permitted to leave the plane while it was on the ground to prevent the spread of the Corona virus into Bali.

The Head of Airport Authority (Otban) Region IV, Elfi Amir, said that the evacuated tourists flew from Ngurah Rai International Airport using a chartered aircraft by the Chinese government on a China Eastern Boeing 737-800 and took off on Saturday afternoon at 14:11 Wita bound for Wuhan, China.

In the process of handling the tourists, the airport authority together with Angkasa Pura I and the Denpasar Class I Port Health Office (KKP) established procedures where all tourists followed the process of checking-in and health checking at Immigration with officers escorting them. In fact, before boarding the plane, the 61 tourists were examined by doctors from the KKP and the results were declared to be safe and free of the virus.

It was only after that the tourists were transported by coach bus to the south parking area at Apron 53 which was a place that had been isolated for the departing tourists. “So a series of SOPs in this evacuation have been undertaken, ranging from providing special access, medical examinations to special aprons that have been cleared. Everything has been carried out properly and smoothly in the repatriation of the Chinese tourists,” Elfi Amir said when giving a press statement at the International Airport Terminal I Gusti Ngurah Rai, Saturday.

Further said after a variety of checks the 61 tourists were handed over to the Chinese Government evacuation team who were on the plane. In this process, as many as 16 crew members including 4 medical teams from China were not allowed to get off the place while waiting for the evacuees. The medical officers from China also used Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and also checked the tourists on the plane stairs as they entered the plane.

“This step is carried out to reduce the potential for the Corona virus to spread. Our team that escorted to the flight ladder also equipped themselves with PPE. On the other hand, their team was also not permitted to get down to the runway,” Elfi Amir explained accompanied by the Consul General of the People’s Republic of China, Gou Haodong, General Manager of Angkasa Pura I, Hery AY Sikado and Head of the Class I KKP Denpasar, Dr. Lucky Tjahyono.

He continued, the China Eastern chartered aircraft with registration B486 and flight number CS 700 arrived at Ngurah Rai Tuban International Airport on Saturday at 12.20 Wita. The plane that flew from Guangzhou, China was categorized as a ferry flight and only carried 16 crews including 4 medics. When landing, the aircraft was immediately directed to the apron that was provided and carried out cleaning by spraying chemical liquids, starting from the cabin to the cargo trunk. It was only after that continued with the process of passenger evacuation.

“Upon arrival, of course chemical spraying was carried out, spraying was only part of the cabin and cargo by our officers who were equipped with special clothing. This is our effort to anticipate the spread of the Corona virus,” he said.

Head of Denpasar Class I Port Health Office (KKP), Dr. Lucky Tjahyono, stated that the 61 passengers were in good health. The tourists were declared clear after a series of body temperature checks. In addition, according to the examination of the medical team from China. “Everyone is healthy and ready to fly. All had normal body temperature,” he explained.

At the same location, General Manager of Angkasa Pura I, Hery AY Sikado explained, for the preparation of the route for tourists it had been done well in advance. So, after the flight clearance permit was dropped from the Ministry of Transportation, Ngurah Rai International Airport has provided an evacuation strategy, including reducing the impact of meetings with other airport service users.

“In anticipation of the potential risk of spreading the Corona virus, we have already carried out the mapping and regulation of the path. So, when there is demand, immediately use the path that has been provided,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Consul General of the People’s Republic of China, Gou Haodong, appreciated the evacuation process that has been carried out by the Indonesian government in this case the stakeholders of the Ngurah Rai International Airport. The evacuation process went smoothly and safely as expected. Asked about the evacuated tourists, Consul General Gou Haodong said that 61 tourists who were evacuated using charter aircraft were mostly from Hubei Province, specifically the city of Wuhan, China. They chose to go home now because of their longing for their hometown. Moreover, they have been in Bali within three weeks.

“The reason they went home was because they were homesick and and they really wanted to go home. So we facilitated chartering by aircraft,” he explained.

Chinese Consul General Gou Haodong estimates there are around 3,000 Chinese tourists still in Bali. If any of the tourists who later want to go home, of course they will consider doing the same thing, namely chartering a plane for their return. Because, at this time the Indonesian government still imposed a ban on flying to and from China.

61 Chinese Tourists Evacuated