Wuhan coronavirus: Many countries try to evacuate their citizens as toll rises to 132

The toll in the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak rose to 132 on Wednesday, with 26 new fatalities reported from Hubei province, according to Xinhua. There are also close to 1,500 new cases, taking the total number of infected people to 5,974.

The newly identified virus is believed to have originated late last year in a Wuhan market illegally selling wildlife. The symptoms include fever, cough, shortness in breath and other breathing difficulties. In severe cases, the virus could also cause pneumonia, kidney failure, and even death.

China’s National Health Commission said that apart from spreading through air, the virus is also passed through physical contact with infected persons. The virus’ incubation period is on average three to seven days, with the longest being 14 days.

The new coronavirus has spread to several countries, with United Arab Emirates being the latest to report a case of infection on Wednesday. It is the first case of the new coronavirus in the Middle East. “The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention announced a case of the new coronavirus affecting people from one family coming from the city of Wuhan in China,” the state news agency WAM reported. The statement, however, did not mention how many people in the family were infected. Cases have also been reported in Sri Lanka, Canada, Thailand, South Korea, the United States, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Nepal, France, and Australia.

Malaysia’s health ministry on Wednesday said three more people had been infected with the new virus. The new cases involve a 4-year-old girl, a 52-year-old man and the mother of two children. With this, seven people have contracted the disease, and all of them are Chinese citizens. Germany on Tuesday confirmed the first human transmission of the Wuhan coronavirus in Europe. In Asia, Japan reported two more cases, including that of a tour bus driver who has never visited the central Chinese city.

British Airways announced on Wednesday that it was immediately suspending all flights to China, AFP reported. The agency also said that Papua New Guinea has shut air and seaports to all foreign travellers coming from Asia.

The coronavirus outbreak may reach its peak in the next 10 days, warned Chinese respiratory expert Zhong Nanshan. “It is very difficult to definitely estimate when the outbreak reaches its peak,” Zhong, who heads a national team of experts set up to control and prevent the disease, told state-run Xinhua news agency. “But I think in one week or about 10 days, it will reach the climax and then there will be large-scale increases. There are two keys to tackling the epidemic: early detection and early isolation. They are the most primitive and most effective methods.”

Indians in China

The Ministry of External Affairs has made a formal request to China to facilitate the evacuation of Indians stranded in the city of Wuhan in Hubei province due to the outbreak of a coronavirus infection, the health ministry said on Tuesday. The evacuated people will be kept in quarantine for 14 days, the government said. The Civil Aviation Ministry will make necessary arrangements for the evacuation once the Chinese authorities approve the request.

Around 250 to 300 Indian students are reportedly stuck in Wuhan, according to PTI. A group of eight Indian students in Wuhan said they will soon run short of food and water. The stranded students hail from Assam, Delhi, Maharashtra, West Bengal and Jammu and Kashmir, reported Hindustan Times.

“Due to the coronavirus outbreak in the city, we have been advised to stay indoors,” an Indian student Gaurav Nath told news agency ANI on Tuesday. “Hence we are stuck in our dormitory [on the campus]. We are being allowed to go out for only two hours a day to buy essentials but there is a lockdown in the city. All the shops and transport systems are closed. There is a shortage of essentials and we will soon run out of food and water.”

Foreign Minister S Jaishankar said the Indian embassy is in constant touch with the Chinese government. “Efforts are on. I can assure you that the central government is working on it and very soon, some solution will be found,” he added.

In India, there has been no confirmed case of coronavirus. Samples of 20 passengers sent to the National Institute of Virology tested negative for the infection.

Restrictions in China

Wuhan, the epicentre of the outbreak, in under complete lockdown. China has extended the New Year Festival holidays till February 2 to stop migrant workers from returning to duty and thus containing the spread of the virus. Universities, colleges and schools across the country will postpone the spring semester until further notice. The government is also trying to prevent mass gatherings and travel, and has launched temperature detection at 55 subway stations and at Beijing airport.

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday called the coronavirus a “demon” that needed to be brought under control. The World Health Organization’s chief, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, on Tuesday assured Beijing of all the help it requires to contain the outbreak, and asked the international community to remain calm and not overreact. Ghebreyesus met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing.

Reduced cross-border travel and evacuation 

Airlines around the world have reduced flights to China.

The special Chinese administrative region of Hong Kong on Tuesday announced it would reduce travel with mainland China in an attempt to contain the spread of the virus. The financial hub will deny entry to individual travellers from the mainland, and close two railway routes.

Flights from and to the mainland will be reduced by half and cross-border tour buses will also be reduced, said Chief Executive Carrie Lam. A number of legislators in the city have demanded a complete border shutdown.

Taiwan also raised its travel warning for China, advising people to avoid going there unless absolutely necessary, Reuters reported. It also imposed stricter restrictions on Chinese visitors, and said it had started to release stocks of face masks. The island has reported seven confirmed cases so far.

Several countries are trying to evacuate their citizens from Wuhan. A United States government official told Reuters that a charter plane had departed from Wuhan on Wednesday. However, there is no confirmation on how many passengers are on board. Australia said it would help some citizens leave Hubei. They will be quarantined on Christmas Island, a remote place in the Indian Ocean known for housing asylum seekers.

Meanwhile, a charter flight from Japan will land in Wuhan, which is in a lockdown, on Tuesday night. The plane, operated by All Nippon Airways, will deliver masks and protective suits, and evacuate the first group of almost 200 Japanese in the city. They are expected to arrive at Haneda International Airport in Tokyo on Wednesday morning, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told the country’s Parliament. More flights will be sent to evacuate the remaining Japanese citizens. A doctor, two nurses and a quarantine officer will check passengers for symptoms such as fever and cough on board the flight.