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But he also said there was no indication that anyone wanted to leave right away.

Some Americans remained stranded in Wuhan, unable to secure a seat on the plane. Family members were incensed to learn that the Boeing 747 had taken off with empty seats. Some passengers lacked the proper documentation, and others did not show up, Dr. Braden said. In the end, around 200 passengers were evacuated, not the expected 240, he said.

“I don’t even know what to say to those numbers,” said Jiacheng Yu of Dallas, whose mother, Ying Cheng, a 61-year-old American citizen, was visiting her own mother in Wuhan for the Lunar New Year and could not get a seat.

When asked whether other flights were planned, a State Department official said its embassy in Beijing “continues to work with the Chinese authorities on other options for U.S. citizens in Wuhan to depart Wuhan and/or China.”

At least one American chose not to try to board Wednesday’s flight. Winifred Conrad, a 27-year-old English teacher, had a lingering cough and was afraid she would instead be handed over to Chinese officials, said her mother, Anastasia Coles of Lubbock, Texas.

But there was another reason: Ms. Conrad’s cat, Lulu.

In text message to her mother, she said: “Don’t freak out. I was offered a seat and I surrendered it to a 10-year-old girl.” She added, “I was told I can’t bring an animal.”

The number of confirmed cases in China increased by nearly 30 percent from Wednesday to Thursday, according to the country’s National Health Commission.