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The Spaniards repatriated from Wuhan for the coronavirus epidemic will be admitted to spend 14 days of quarantine at the Gómeé Ulla Hospital. Instead of going directly to the 22nd floor of the hospital, which is prepared to deal with cases of especially contagious infections, the patients will be transferred to the 17th floor , which was empty and was enabled on Wednesday afternoon for the occasion.

As EL MUNDO has been able to know, this decision is due to the fact that repatriated Spaniards "are healthy . " If, on quarantine days, an infection is confirmed, the affected person would be admitted to the 22nd floor , which has isolation and special protection measures.

It is expected that returnees arrive in Madrid between this morning and Friday morning.

However, less than 24 hours after that arrival, hospital workers are unaware of how the patient admission protocol will be . In the case that they enter through the Emergency Department, the workers have not received any specific training on how to handle the cases, workers at the center have indicated.

For his part, the Minister of Health, Salvador Illa, has confirmed, after meeting with the directors general of Public Health and scientific societies, that "the special sanitary device designed for the arrival of returnees is ready to be deployed."

It is planned that two teams of External Health carry out an initial assessment of the repatriated persons.

Afterwards, passengers will be transferred to the Gómez Ulla hospital, where the maximum incubation period for the virus will remain for 14 days. "This is an exceptional measure agreed within the EU to ensure the safety of all citizens of the Union," he said.

"Our responsibility is to ensure that they can return with all guarantees for their safety and that of all citizens," said Illa. "And therefore, we will take all precautions, avoiding any risk to the maximum."

Fernando Simón, director of the Center for Coordination of Health Alerts and Emergencies of the Ministry of Health, has reported that people from Wuhan will have freedom of movement within the quarantine area.

"Healthy people are repatriated," he stressed. "They will be perfectly suitable places to spend comfortable quarantine respecting all the needs and will be able to, as healthy people as they are, normal life within the quarantine zone."

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