This Article is From Jan 26, 2020

Coronavirus: Monitoring Indians In China Closely, Says Foreign Minister On Virus Scare

Coronavirus Outbreak: While some Indian students managed to leave Wuhan just before it was sealed off on January 23, over 250 to 300 students are said to be still in the city and its surrounding areas.

Coronavirus: Monitoring Indians In China Closely, Says Foreign Minister On Virus Scare

Coronavirus: Travellers from China are being screened at various Indian airports.

Highlights

  • Travellers from China are being screened at various Indian airports
  • Over 250 to 300 students are said to be still in Wuhan and nearby areas
  • India has issued travel advisories for Indians travelling to China
New Delhi:

The Indian embassy in Beijing is "constantly checking on health and well-being of the Indians in China" amid the outbreak of a SARS-like coronavirus that has killed more than 50 people in the east Asian country, Foreign Minister S Jaishankar tweeted this morning. The reassurance came after reports said that New Delhi has requested Beijing to permit over 250 Indian students stuck in China's Wuhan city, the epicentre of the outbreak.

"Our Embassy in Beijing is constantly checking on the health and well-being of the Indians in China. Please follow @EOIBeijing for more updates on the situation," Mr Jaishankar wrote in an early-morning tweet.

India had earlier issued travel advisories for Indians travelling to China as the fast-spreading coronavirus became a major cause of worry. In the last few days, the Indian Embassy in Beijing has set up helplines for the students in Wuhan where about 700 Indian students are believed to be studying in different universities.

Wuhan and more than a dozen other cities in China's Hubei province have been locked down in a rapidly expanding quarantine effort marked by transport shutdowns and other restrictions on movement.

While some Indian students managed to leave Wuhan just before it was sealed off on January 23, over 250 to 300 students are said to be still in the city and its surrounding areas, India is trying to help the students stuck there, news agency PTI reported.

The virus, which originated in Wuhan city of China in December, has spread in various cities around the world including United States, Australia and France. Around 2,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus have been reported in the east Asian country.

The outbreak also has struck at possibly the worst time for China, when hundreds of millions of people are travelling across the country or overseas to celebrate the Lunar New Year holiday, China's most important festival.

In India, 11 people in four cities have been kept under observation after they returned from China and showed mild symptoms of viral infection.

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