Asia Pacific, Australia news, Australian foreign policy, Australian politics, China, Coronavirus outbreak, Marise Payne
‘Throwaway citizens’: Australian retiree rejected for Wuhan evacuation flights feels left behind
Garry Ridder, a 78-year-old from Cooma, says he missed out despite the government prioritising the elderly, young and vulnerable
A 78-year-old Australian man trapped in Wuhan says he feels like a “throwaway citizen” after being rejected for the government’s evacuation flights and he “now knows what it feels like to be in jail”.
Garry Ridder, a retired engineer from Cooma, arrived in Wuhan, in Hubei province, in late January, just as news of an unknown virus emanating from the city began to emerge.