Entertainment Report

Two more flights carrying Americans fleeing coronavirus are expected to leave Wuhan soon

Two flights evacuating hundreds of US citizens from the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in China are scheduled to depart for the United States soon, a US official with knowledge of the matter told CNN on Tuesday.

About 550 passengers will be aboard the two flights departing from Wuhan, China, the official told CNN on condition of anonymity. These are the second and third such flights from Wuhan that were arranged by the US government in roughly the past week.

The latest flights are expected to head to two California military bases: Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego, and Travis Air Force Base between San Francisco and Sacramento, according to the official. Details on when the flights would take off weren’t immediately available.

The flights come about a week after the first US government-arranged flight left Wuhan. That first chartered plane, carrying nearly 200 US citizens — including diplomats and their families — arrived January 29 at March Air Reserve Base in Southern California.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ordered a federal 14-day quarantine for those evacuees — the first such order in more than 50 years.

Tuesday’s flights seem to end a few days of uncertainty for the Americans who’d been seeking a way out of Wuhan. A US-arranged flight initially was to depart on Monday, but was delayed, a US official with knowledge of the matter told CNN.

The Chinese government on Monday declined to comment about the delay. But it came as Beijing criticized the United States’ response to the coronavirus outbreak, including temporarily denying foreign nationals entry to the US if they had been in China in the previous 14 days.

More than 20,000 cases of Wuhan coronavirus have been confirmed worldwide, including 11 in the United States. At least 427 people have died from the virus.

Even more flights from Wuhan for US citizens could be scheduled. The State Department tweeted it “may be staging flights” on Thursday and interested citizens should contact it by email.

Americans who remain in China should take precautionary measures, including “stocking up on food,” the State Department said.

California father waits to reunite with wife and children

San Diego resident Kenneth Burnett hopes that his wife and two children will be on one of Tuesday’s flights, he told CNN on Monday.

His wife, Yanjun Wei, 3-year-old son Rowan, and 1-year-old daughter Mia have been holed up in a high-rise apartment in Wuhan. He was supposed to join them there to celebrate the Chinese New Year, but the outbreak shut the city down, he said.

“It’s terrifying. It is very dramatic to shut down a city of 50 million people. You think to yourself, if that can happen what else can happen?” Burnett said.

The three were tentatively booked on an evacuation flight out, he said, after he contacted the State Department and the US Embassy in China for help. The children are US citizens; his wife is due to take her citizenship exam this month.

“We think my wife and kids will get seats, but they basically they won’t guarantee anything. They’ll say maybe the Chinese authorities won’t allow it. We know that other countries have not had some of these problems. We feel like other countries haven’t felt this problem,” he said.

By: NBC Palm Springs

February 4, 2020

Link Copied To Clipboard!
Latest Instagram Posts
209

BREAKING NEWS: Country artist Dolly Parton has died at 80 following prolonged issues. Our Maria Noble Valdez has more here. Be sure to stay tuned nbcpalmsprings.com for more information. #dollyparton #breakingnews #nbcpalmsprings

14

📘Make your child the main character in a book, or give someone a special keepsake.📕 Thalia discovered this app and wanted to share it with all of you: Bookestry.com

1782

Meet Kaydee, the newest visitor to the Big Bear Valley Eagle Nest! Kaydee has been making herself right at home — and on Sunday, she gave viewers some seriously adorable head tilts while checking out her reflection in the camera dome. Experts believe Kaydee is female based on her size compared with Shadow, who she’s recently been spotted hanging out with following the death of Shadow’s longtime partner, Jackie. Jackie and Shadow’s eaglets, Sandy and Luna, fledged a few weeks ago and are now out on their own. For now, we’re happy to follow along with Kaydee’s sweet adventures! ❤️🦅 #BigBear #BigBearValley #BaldEagle #KaydeeTheEagle #ShadowTheEagle EagleNest CaliforniaWildlife Wildlife NBCPalmSprings

224

Calling MOOOM! The Iowa State Fair’s annual Mom Calling Contest is back, and these kids brought their best—and funniest—mom calls to the mic! From Fortnite updates to snack emergencies, apparently everything is a five-alarm situation when you’re a kid. 8-year-old Vivien Sullivan of Ankeny took home first place, a blue ribbon and $5! Would your kid win this contest? 👀 #IowaStateFair #MomCallingContest #Iowa #StateFair #KidsBeingKids #FunnyKids #Mom #FamilyFun #ViralVideo #NBCPalmSprings

44

☕️ Social Time with Thalia & Jerry

786

It’s that time of year again! It’s the start of the 2026 Friday Night Lights season, and you can see all the action here on NBC Palm Springs and nbcpalmsprings.com #fnl #fridaynightlights🏈 #football #nbcpalmsprings

919

UPDATE: The San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department have confirmed that one person has died and another two were injured after a home explosion on Ocotillo Rd in Twentynine Palms. Security camera video from a nearby neighbor captured the dramatic blast around 8:28 p.m., followed by a fire that brought a massive emergency response from fire and law enforcement agencies across the Morongo Basin. The burning structure has been confirmed as a residence at 6427 Ocotillo Ave. The cause of the explosion remains under investigation and the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Arson/Bomb Detail team is conducting the investigation. Tune in to our evening newscasts for the latest information.

5957

A little galaxy far, far away… meets the debate over surveillance cameras. 👀 A man dressed as Darth Vader spoke at a San Diego City Council meeting this week, telling members the emperor is a “fan of Flock,” the company behind license plate-reading cameras facing scrutiny across the country. The moment came as communities debate the balance between public safety, technology and privacy. #SanDiego #FlockCameras #LicensePlateReaders #Surveillance #Privacy #StarWars #DarthVader #California #LocalNews #NBCPalmSprings

831

From Jackie and Shadow to the next generation. Millions watched the beloved Big Bear bald eagle family. Now, following Jackie’s death, conservationists are working to protect and track the young eagles who could represent the future of the species. See the full story at NBCPalmSprings.com. #BaldEagles #BigBear #WildlifeConservation #NBCPalmSprings #southerncalifornia

2275

The Palm Springs Police Department opened its doors to its surveillance center to give the public a firsthand look at how they use flock cameras across the city. After a look behind the scenes, we asked residents about their impression of the technology. Make sure to tune in to our 5 and 6 p.m newscast for all the details.

Two more flights carrying Americans fleeing coronavirus are expected to leave Wuhan soon