Four Samoan nationals as well as two dependents have been evacuated from Wuhan in China.
They are among 193 passengers on board an Air New Zealand Charter flight organised by the Government of New Zealand.
The plane is expected to arrive in Auckland this evening and the passengers will be isolated at Whangaparaoa as part of measures to respond to the coronavirus.
Three Samoan students chose not to catch the flight and remained in their university campuses in Wuhan following consultations with their parents.
Four Wuhan-based students who had left for their holiday destinations before the lock-down came into effect, have been advised to return to the Samoa mission in Beijing at the conclusion of the break.
The total number of students who are based in Wuhan, current and former, is 11 plus 2 dependents, a total of 13.
The inclusion of the Samoan nationals on the NZ flight from Wuhan was at the request of the Government of Samoa.
All passengers, including the Samoan students, will be in isolation for 14 days in Whangaparaoa (north of Auckland) before they continue to Samoa.
The Government of Samoa will meet all expenses for the voluntary evacuation.
There continues to be vigilant monitoring of the situation throughout China particularly in the provinces where all of the 95 students are located through the Samoa mission in Beijing and in collaboration with Pacific neighbours Australia and New Zealand and the Chinese authorities.
Photo: Supplied by Air NZ Caption: Air New Zealand shared this image of the Boeing 777-200 for Flight NZ1942 on the ground in Wuhan.