BEIJING: Not allowed to enter Wuhan, which barred me to reach the Pakistani students in Coronavirus hot provincial capital, said Naghmana Hashmi, Ambassador of Pakistan to People’s Republic of China.
Due to lack of permission to visit the coronavirus-hit Wuhan and Hubei, they could not reach stranded Pakistani studentsm the Pakistani envoy said, adding that until the quarantine period is completed there is a complete lockdown in Wuhan, otherwise, they would have reached the Pakistani students.
She said that the Pakistani officials are in contact with their Chinese counterparts in Beijing and Wuhan and will promptly reply to any query by a Pakistani citizen in China.
The envoy said that they are also giving psychological assistance to the citizens stranded in the quarantined areas.
Special Assistant on National Health Services Dr Zafar Mirza and the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan also reiterated that they ‘care’ about the stranded Pakistanis in Wuhan.
Dr Mirza said that the situation is being intensely discussed and best decision will be taken after keeping in view all the factors. “Rest assured you are our own & we care!,” he tweeted.
Meanwhile, the Chinese embassy also took a similar stance, saying it understands the situation of Pakistani students in Wuhan and Hubei. “China will care about you as our own. Things are getting better, and please rest assured you are well protected,” said the official account.
The death toll from the novel coronavirus surged past 900 in mainland China on Sunday, overtaking global fatalities in the 2002-03 SARS epidemic, even as the World Health Organization said the outbreak appeared to be “stabilising”.
With 89 more people dying — most in Hubei, the province at the centre of the outbreak — the toll is now higher than the 774 killed worldwide by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome nearly two decades ago, according to figures from national health authorities.
Read more: Coronavirus crosses 900 deaths and 40,000 confirmed infections in China
