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First freighter flight to fly directly into the epicentre of the coronavirus

The chinese Government has allowed permission for the first freighter flight directly to Wuhan, China. Australian freight company, Wiseway Logistics, will transport humanitarian aid cargo to the region.

It will be the first direct flight from Sydney to Wuhan since the coronavirus outbreak. The disease is declared as a Public Health Emergency by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as the virus continues to claim thousands of lives.

Wiseway is asking Australian manufacturers to donate any products which may be helpful to assist in fighting the outbreak.

The first freighter aircraft will depart out between Saturday, 22 February to Tuesday, 25 February depending on the time slot allocation from Sydney airport.

Florence Lee, the managing director of Wiseway said there has been a ground-swell of support of donations to send directly to the centre of the outbreak and support Coronavirus relief efforts.

“The donations include much-needed protective clothing for healthcare professionals, including surgical and N95 masks, along with medical equipment, decontamination products and medications,” Florence said.

Wiseway said the mercy-dash will have a strict two-hour turnaround in Sydney airport. 

Pilots conducting the flight will not leave the aircraft, and the flight will carry no passengers 

Freight will be unloaded in Wuhan by personnel from humanitarian groups who will meet the flight at the airport. 

“This Monday we collected 25 tonnes of goods but have capacity for 100 tonnes. We will facilitate and welcome more donations ,” Lee said.

Wuhan is home to 11 million residents and has been in “lock down” since January 23, which has greatly restricted the flow of essential supplies into the city.

Estimates are that 200,000 frontline healthcare workers are currently at risk in China due to inadequate protective clothing, with more than 1,700 infections and six deaths reported among healthcare workers. 

Wiseway is calling for donations of personal protective clothing and equipment (surgical masks, N95 respirator masks, gloves, gowns, goggles) and non-perishable foods (wellbeing improvement products, health supplements, powdered milk).

Donations can be made by 21 February 2020 (12 o’clock midday) via Wiseway’s warehouses in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane, Perth and Auckland, New Zealand.

ASX-listed Wiseway is the number one freight company operating between Australia and China and has the logistical capability to manage the delivery from donors to the frontline.  

All costs associated with the flight are being covered by Wiseway as part of their contribution to the global fight against the Covid-19 virus outbreak

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