Despite concerns from Australians in China and others calling for a more humane solution, Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton is defending plans to evacuate our people from Wuhan City to Christmas Island.

China says the 2019-nCoV has effectively reached all provinces now, killing more than 170 people and infecting 7,711 patients.  At least 140 Australian children and their parents are still trapped in Wuhan City where the coronavirus first appeared a few weeks ago, now locked down by Chinese authorities.  Two of those Australians in China have reportedly been infected.

Health workers say patients are contagious up to two weeks, even before they show symptoms of the pneumonia-like disease.

"The reality is people need to be accommodated for somewhere for up to 14 days.  I can't clear out a hospital in Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane," Dutton told reporters in Canberra.  "Christmas Island is purpose-built for exactly this scenario."

Australian Medical Association (AMA) President Tony Bartone opposes the Christmas Island quarantine.

"We can protect the Australian community and also be much more humane to those Australians who, as I said, through no fault of their own, find themselves the focus of this epicenter," Dr. Bartone told Nine News.  "We can find a better set of facilities to deal with that, to manage that staged return to the community."