Politics

Coronavirus chaos as Government doesn’t know how many British nationals are stranded in ‘ground zero’ Wuhan


THE GOVERNMENT doesn’t know how many British nationals are stranded in “ground zero” Wuhan as the Corononavirus chaos continues.

Wuhan is under quarantine with air and rail departures suspended and roads closed, while several other cities have imposed travel bans as fears over the virus grow.

 A Chinese health worker checks the temperature of a woman entering a subway station in Beijing

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A Chinese health worker checks the temperature of a woman entering a subway station in BeijingCredit: Getty Images – Getty

About five million people have already left the city ahead of the Chinese New Year holidays, but many Brits are still stranded.

Ministers think that around 200 are stuck in the province, but don’t know the exact figure.

More than than 100 people have died from the disease so far, with more than 4,500 infected.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has urged Brits trapped in the region to get in contact so the government can get them out.

He said: “We are working on it, for anybody who is there, one of the issues that we have working with our partners internationally on this is identifying how many British citizens there are in Wuhan.

“One of the things we are asking people to do is to contact the consulate to make them aware and people have started to do that.

“That consulate is gathering all the information on who’s there.”

Mr Shapps insisted the Government was on top of the issue, and vowed to “get people home”.

It comes as the Health Secretary Matt Hancock revealed up to 200 Brits in the region will be offered repatriation.

Speaking yesterday, he said: “Coronaviruses do not usually spread if people don’t have symptoms, but we cannot be 100% certain.

“From today we are therefore asking anyone in the UK who has returned from Wuhan in the last 14 days to self-isolate, stay indoors and avoid contact with other people, and to contact NHS 111.”

On Monday, authorities in Beijing confirmed a 50-year-old man had died – the first fatality in the Chinese capital from the virus.

 Transport Secretary Grant Shapps admitted the government don't know how many Brits are in the region

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Transport Secretary Grant Shapps admitted the government don’t know how many Brits are in the regionCredit: PA:Press Association
 Members of a military medical team head for Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital in China's Hubei province

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Members of a military medical team head for Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital in China’s Hubei provinceCredit: Alamy Live News

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The virus has spread across China and to at least 16 countries globally.

Scientists are racing to develop a vaccine for coronavirus which is thought to spread into the human population from an infected animal at a market in Wuhan.

Public health officials from the US and China have already warned people to expect many more infections.

Boris Jonson claims ‘we’re doing everything we can’ to protect the UK from Coronavirus’


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