UNNECESSARY? Chinese officials said passengers on the first flight did not need protective gear, but crew on a later flight on a Chinese airline were properly equipped

Taipei Times
Date: Mar 12, 2020
By: Yang Chun-hui and William Hetherington / Staff reporter, with staff writer

A China Airlines (中華航空) charter flight to evacuate Taiwanese stranded in China on Tuesday was delayed by Chinese authorities, who unilaterally attempted to make last-minute changes to the passenger manifest, an anonymous source said yesterday.

Just before the flight was scheduled to depart Hubei Province at 5pm, Chinese authorities attempted to add 30 passengers not on the original manifest, saying that there was “enough room in the cabin,” the source said.

They also refused to let passengers don protective clothing, saying it was “unnecessary,” the source said.    [FULL  STORY]