The number of Canadians who have asked for assistance in leaving Hubei — the province in China where a new virus has infected thousands — has now risen to 301, according to Global Affairs Canada.
The rise in number comes after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Friday that the federal government is intending to transport almost 200 Canadians from the epicentre of China’s coronavirus outbreak.
As of Saturday, Global Affairs says 502 Canadians in China have now registered with consular officials, a figure that includes those looking to leave the country.
Canada is still in the process of seeking Chinese approval to send a plane to Wuhan to pick up the Canadians there.
“It is a deliberate process in which we are engaged responsibly,” Trudeau said Friday, who also added that evacuation efforts were being coordinated with other countries.
Canadian Megan Millward, who was visiting her in-laws at a small village in Hubei with her husband and two children, said that she was worried by a shortage of medical help in the province as well as her family splitting up.
“There are no flush toilets, and we obviously knew that ahead of time because we come here every year,” Millward told Global News.
“But with a very sensitive health situation, the longer we stay here without running water and proper hygiene, the more worried we become that something, anything, no matter what it is, there won’t be enough medical care available to us in this location.”
According to GAC, only Canadian citizens would be able to board the plane. Millward’s husband, Lie Zhang, is permanent resident and would be barred by China from leaving Hubei with the rest of his family.
“I just want to reassure Canadians that I’m down for anything. I’m willing to be held in quarantine for 14 days and to undergo any tests,” Millward told Global News.
“We’re not trying to pose a health risk. We’re trying to avoid one.”
The death toll from the virus in China has now increased to 304, according to the country’s national health commission. It also said that the number of confirmed cases increased by about 2,590 for a total of 14,380.
The Philippines also reported its first coronavirus-related death Sunday morning. According to its Department of Health, a 44-year-old Chinese man from Wuhan was admitted after experiencing symptoms related to the disease. It is the first death to be reported outside of China.
The World Health Organization also warned that countries need to be prepared should the virus spread among their populations.
— With files from the Canadian Press and the Associated Press
