Australian government offers to evacuate citizens from “Heart of Coronavirus” Wuhan, China and take them on free, forced, 14-day surf trip!

The softer side of fascism!

Oh to be an Australian living in the “Chicago of China,” known to us as Wuhan, were industrialization flows up and down the mighty Yahtzee River and exotic snakes etc. dance in fabulous live animal marketplaces. The sights, sounds, smells and wonders.

As you know, China eleventh largest city is currently in a spot of trouble with an exotic new disease, allegedly born in those live animal marketplaces. There are travel bans throughout the country with Wuhan being completely shut off and many other countries, around the world, are refusing to allow anyone traveling from China in.

But to be an Australian living in that Other Windy City, for that government is offering to take its nationals on a two week surf trip and let’s turn to the BBC for more on this unprecedented act of generosity.

Australia has begun evacuating its citizens trapped by the coronavirus outbreak in China to an immigration detention centre on a remote island.

Evacuees from Wuhan are en route to Australia’s Christmas Island, where they will be quarantined for two weeks.

Canberra said 243 citizens and permanent residents, including 89 children, were on board. A second flight is also scheduled for this week.

Pictures on social media showed queues of families waiting to board on Monday.

“We have prioritised vulnerable and isolated Australians,” Foreign Minister Marise Payne told reporters in Canberra.

The nation’s flagship carrier, Qantas, is operating the chartered flight.

All those on board would wear masks and other protective clothing, and interactions between staff and passengers would be minimal, said chief executive Alan Joyce.

Critics had last week questioned the state of medical facilities on the island, and the holding of citizens in an immigration detention centre.

Nations such as the US, France, and Japan have repatriated their citizens to the mainland.

Some Chinese-Australian evacuees feared they were being treated differently to “white Australians”.

However, Canberra strongly rebuffed suggestions of a bias on Monday.

“[The plan] is only founded on medical advice and any suggestion otherwise I absolutely reject,” Ms Payne said.

Evacuees will also no longer have to pay A$1,000 (£500; $670) fee for the evacuation after Canberra reversed an earlier decision.

Fabulous and free. Christmas Island, as you well know, was featured in a Rip Curl Search adventure and let’s watch a video of what the lucky Lucky Country visitors are in for.

My goodness.

According to ChristmasIslandSurf.com:

What surfer hasn’t had that dream. You know the one, about going back 50 years in time and being ‘That Guy’ who first discovered a new surf destination….then surfing endless sunny days on uncrowded waves witnessed only by the dolphins….Well make that “the dolphins and some of your mates” and you’re pretty much in the Christmas Island picture.

Do you think if we fly to Wuhan we can catch one of the Qantas flights out?

Should we try?

Yes?

More as the story develops.