PH to evacuate Filipinos in Wuhan
Credit to Author: THE MANILA TIMES| Date: Tue, 28 Jan 2020 17:17:48 +0000
THE Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is ready to repatriate Filipinos in Wuhan City in China who wish to return to the Philippines amid the spread of the deadly novel coronavirus (nCoV).
There are about 300 Filipinos in Hubei Province, 150 of whom work and live in Wuhan, the epicenter of the virus.
The DFA in a statement on Tuesday night said the Filipinos will be evacuated subject to China’s rules on disease containment, including immigration clearance and quarantine process, among others.
“The DFA is making available special flights from Hubei Province to the Philippines. Hence, Filipinos in the area who wish to be repatriated should contact the Philippine Consulate General in Shanghai,” it added.
Those repatriated will be quarantined for 14 days.
Meanwhile, Filipinos who wish to stay in China should heed advisories from local health authorities, and cooperate with efforts to quell the further spread of nCoV, the DFA said.
Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Strategic Communications and Research Ernesto Abella has echoed the call of the Chinese government that Filipinos in the affected areas needing medical assistance should go to the nearest medical facility and seek proper medical care, including treatment and quarantine.
The DFA on Tuesday approved the recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (EID) to “discourage non-essential travel of Filipinos to China.”